Hardware Applications Engineer - Principal

INVENSENSE, INC.•San Jose, CA

3h•$175,000 - $215,000

About The Position

We are seeking a Principal Hardware Applications Engineer to act as the technical bridge between our MEMS sensor products and our customers. In this role, you will work closely with FAEs, R&D, and product teams to enable successful design-in, integration, and deployment of MEMS sensors across consumer, industrial, and IoT applications.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field
10+ years of experience in applications engineering, field applications engineering (FAE), or systems engineering
Proven experience working with MEMS sensors such as: IMUs (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer)
Strong background in hardware, embedded systems and sensor signal chains
Solid understanding of: MEMS sensor physics and performance parameters (noise, bias, drift, sensitivity, cross-axis error) Analog and digital interfaces (I²C, SPI, UART) Sensor calibration and compensation techniques
Hands-on experience with: Microcontrollers and embedded firmware Lab equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, environmental chambers) Ability to develop and debug across hardware, firmware, and software layers

Nice To Haves

Experience in consumer electronics, industrial, or IoT markets
Familiarity with sensor fusion algorithms and motion processing
Python, C/C++, or MATLAB for data analysis and tooling
Experience supporting high-volume production and manufacturing ramp-ups
Prior customer-facing experience in a semiconductor environment

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary technical interface for key customers during design-in, validation, and production phases
Provide hands-on support for sensor integration, calibration, signal conditioning, and system optimization
Debug complex system-level issues involving hardware and firmware
Support customer on-site visits, technical reviews, and failure analysis when required
Develop and deliver application notes, User Guides, reference designs, and evaluation guides
Design PCBs
Program and debug C code for embedded systems and firmware development.
Guide customers on sensor selection, performance trade-offs, and architecture decisions
Build and Support evaluation kits (EVKs), bring-up, and firmware/software examples
Assist in defining system requirements and translating them into sensor-level specifications
Work closely with R&D and product marketing to provide customer feedback and influence roadmap decisions
Support FAEs with technical presentations, proof-of-concepts, and pre-sales engagements
Partner with quality and operations teams on RMA analysis, root cause investigations, and corrective actions
Act as a technical mentor to junior applications engineers
Contribute to best practices for applications engineering processes and tools