Senior MEMS Device Engineer

HRL Laboratories•Malibu, CA

1d•$172,900 - $221,600

About The Position

HRL Laboratories is seeking a Senior MEMS Device Engineer to lead thermal and mechanical design, development, evaluation, characterization, and system-level validation of MEMS inertial measurement units (IMUs). The role supports the maturation of hardware, firmware, and system behavior from R&D toward low-rate production and external evaluation. It includes finite element analysis, hands-on test development and automation, performance data analysis, hardware and firmware debugging, failure analysis, and iterative improvement of prototypes and engineering builds. The engineer will develop laboratory infrastructure and automation frameworks, define test plans and pass/fail criteria, and help ensure release readiness through reproducible test coverage. The role also works cross-functionally on requirements flowdown, system integration, technical documentation, configuration control, engineering changes, and preparation of prototypes and early-production IMUs for qualification. Candidates must have a relevant bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. degree and extensive hands-on sensor development and digital signal processing experience. The position requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance; an active clearance is a plus.

Requirements

Bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. in a relevant field.
10+ years of hands-on experience owning sensor development and digital signal processing, including prototype bring-up, hardware/firmware integration, performance validation, and schematic-level hardware design and debugging.
6+ years of experience managing production and test documentation, requirements validation, and artifact production.
Strong understanding of inertial sensor performance, including bias, noise, and stability, and its interaction with filtering and compensation algorithms.
Experience with IMU test equipment, including vibration systems, shock testers, rate tables, centrifuges, and thermal chambers, as well as test automation and instrumentation interfaces.
Proficiency with COMSOL or other FEA tools and MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW, or similar tools for data analysis and automation.
Knowledge of software best practices, including Git-based version control, code reviews, CI/CD workflows, and unit and integration testing.
Working knowledge of microcontrollers/SoCs, ADCs/DACs, and serial interfaces such as I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, and Ethernet.
U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance.

Nice To Haves

8+ years of hands-on experience owning IMU or MEMS development, including prototype bring-up, hardware/firmware integration, and performance validation.
Hands-on experience with GNC integration, test, and evaluation.
Experience with Xilinx Vivado, UltraScale architectures, or ASIC platforms.
Experience with schematic design tools such as Altium Designer.
Active Security Clearance.

Responsibilities

Lead thermal and mechanical design activities for MEMS IMU development, including finite element simulations of key building blocks and design and fabrication iterations to confirm model results.
Lead end-to-end IMU evaluation and characterization supporting prototyping, product development, and sustainment, with a focus on maturing hardware, firmware, and system behavior for transition out of R&D.
Define and execute characterization strategies across environmental, dynamic, and operational conditions, including building and automating temperature, vibration, and shock test setups.
Analyze performance data to identify key drivers, validate models, and investigate anomalies, drift behaviors, and firmware-related effects.
Drive sustaining and maturation activities, including hardware and firmware debugging, failure analysis, yield trend analysis, and iterative improvement of prototypes and engineering builds.
Develop laboratory infrastructure and supporting scripts for product evaluation, characterization, and validation; build automation frameworks using Python, MATLAB, or Simulink.
Lead system-level validation by defining test plans, developing pass/fail criteria, and ensuring release readiness through robust test coverage and reproducible results.
Partner cross-functionally to support requirements flowdown, system integration readiness, and technical documentation for transition to low-rate production.
Maintain configuration control, support engineering change processes, and prepare prototypes and early-production IMUs for external evaluation and qualification.