Director - SW Application Engineering

INVENSENSE, INC.•San Jose, CA

9d•$175,000 - $215,000

About The Position

InvenSense (a TDK Group Company) is the world leader in MEMS motion tracking, but we don't just capture data; we process it intelligently. Our sensors feature highly optimized, always-on processing engines designed specifically for efficiency. These dedicated hardware blocks handle complex tasks, such as sensor fusion, gesture recognition, and activity classification, directly on the silicon with ultra low-power consumption. By processing data locally and enabling the host processor to sleep, we unlock massive system-level power savings for wearables, hearables, and IoT. We are seeking a Director Software Applications Engineering to bridge the gap between these smart sensors and our customers' applications. You will define how developers interact with our on-chip features, including our embedded Machine Learning capabilities, creating the firmware, tools, and demos that prove the value of efficient edge computing.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or related field.
Experience: 10+ years of experience in Software Applications Engineering, Embedded Systems Integration, or Technical Product Marketing.
Technical Domain: Strong familiarity with MEMS sensor architectures and their real-world applications (IoT, Wearables, Robotics).
Hardware Interfaces: Experience with digital interfaces (I²C, SPI, UART, USB) and wireless protocols (BLE).
Programming: Proficiency in C/C++ (for embedded systems) or Python (for scripting/tools).
System Design: Familiarity with SDK structures and API design principles.
Software Leadership: Demonstrated ownership of the software roadmap for a product line, including the definition and delivery of evaluation kits and technical collateral.

Nice To Haves

Motion Expertise: Deep experience with IMU/Motion sensor integration or algorithms (e.g., Gesture Recognition, Activity Tracking).
Application Background: Hands-on experience developing applications that utilize motion sensors in Robotics, Navigation, Wearables, or IoT.
Power Optimization: Experience optimizing systems for ultra-low power environments (battery-constrained devices).
Algorithm Knowledge: Familiarity with Sensor Fusion, Motion Processing, or Digital Signal Processing (DSP) algorithms.

Responsibilities

Champion customer success by acting as the senior technical lead during the evaluation, design-in, and production ramp phases.
Resolve complex cross-functional issues that span hardware, firmware, and software, acting as the bridge between the customer and internal R&D team
Deliver expert guidance on sensor configuration, calibration algorithms, and hardware layout to ensure optimal signal integrity and accuracy.
Lead technical engagements for high-priority accounts, including architecture reviews, on-site debugging sessions, and executive-level technology demonstrations.
Lead the integration of sensor drivers and motion algorithms onto customer-representative MCU platforms (Experience with Atmel SAM G-series/SAMG55 is a strong plus).
Deep-dive into complex hardware/firmware issues, using logic analyzers and oscilloscopes to debug physical bus interfaces (I2C, SPI, I3C) when customers face communication failures.
Architect and support wireless data streams, specifically handling BLE protocols, ensuring robust communication between the embedded sensor hub and host devices.
Collaborate with GUI application engineers to define efficient serial/wireless communication protocols, ensuring our evaluation tools correctly visualize the firmware’s output.
Create comprehensive technical collateral, including integration guides, application notes, and commented reference code, to help customers navigate from "box open" to "mass production.
Partner with the Field Applications (FAE) team to analyze recurring customer pain points, acting as the technical expert who determines why current solutions are failing (e.g., identifying critical power vs. latency trade-offs).
Synthesize broad market feedback from the field into clear roadmap requirements, distilling the "signal" from the "noise" of individual complaints to form a coherent technical strategy for R&D.
Serve as the technical bridge between the Field and R&D organizations, translating unstructured customer problem statements into precise roadmap definitions that engineering can execute.
Maintain deep mastery of our latest software algorithms, features, and system limitations, applying this knowledge to evaluate customer end-use cases and identifying critical gaps that must be addressed in future development.
Build "Proof-of-Value" demos that Field, Marketing, and Sales teams can use to prove our capabilities, equipping the global team with the scalable tools they need to close design wins.
Align with Product Marketing to synchronize software release schedules with product launch campaigns, ensuring demos match the go-to-market story.
Equip the Field Organization with scalable technical assets, transforming complex engineering prototypes into robust sales tools that FAEs can demonstrate independently.
Drive documentation excellence, providing the critical technical inputs and real-world implementation details that make our datasheets and app notes truly useful to developers.