Senior Test & Evaluation Engineer

HRL Laboratories•Malibu, CA

1d•$154,500 - $197,900•Onsite

About The Position

HRL Laboratories pioneers the next frontiers of physical and information science, delivering transformative technologies in automotive, aerospace, and defense. HRL advances critical missions by providing scalable, high-performance solutions, often leveraging digital manufacturing and microfabrication techniques. The company is jointly owned by Boeing and GM, prioritizing purpose over profit and significantly advancing the state of the art. HRL's compact, high-performance MEMS IMUs are revolutionizing navigation systems by delivering reliable guidance in GPS-degraded environments, offering a cost-effective and scalable solution for various demanding applications. These innovations aim to deliver a first-of-its-kind navigation-grade product that combines reliability, precision, and affordability, advancing the capabilities of autonomous systems.

Requirements

Bachelors, masterâ€™s or Ph.D. in relevant field.
7+ years 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 debug.
4+ yearsâ€™ experience managing production and test documentation as well as requirements validation and artifact production.
Strong understanding of inertial sensor performance (bias, noise, stability) and their interaction with filtering and compensation algorithms.
Experience with IMU test equipment (vibration systems, shock testers, rate tables, centrifuges, thermal chambers) and test automation/instrumentation interfaces.
Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW, or similar for data analysis and automation.
Strong hardware fundamentals (analog, digital, mixed signal, power) and understanding of how they interact with embedded firmware.
Proficiency in embedded C/C++ and at least one automation language (Python preferred); experience with RTOS concepts, HAL/bare metal drivers, and evaluation board bring up.
Knowledge of software best practices, including Git based version control, code reviews, CI/CD workflows, and unit/integration testing.
Working knowledge of microcontrollers/SoCs, ADCs/DACs, and serial interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, Ethernet).
US citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government security clearance.

Nice To Haves

8+ years 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 like Altium Designer.

Responsibilities

Lead end to end IMU evaluation and characterization tasks supporting prototyping, product development, and sustainment, with emphasis 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 hands on test setups (temperature, vibration, shock).
Analyze performance data to identify key drivers, validate models, and perform root cause investigations of anomalies, drift behaviors, and firmware related effects.
Develop operational firmware to align sensor behavior, filtering, calibration algorithms, and embedded implementation with system level performance goals; support firmware bring up and debug.
Drive sustaining and maturation activities, including hardware/firmware debug, failure analysis, yield trends, and iterative improvement of prototypes and engineering builds.
Develop lab infrastructure and supporting scripts for evaluation, characterization, and validation of products; build automation frameworks in Python / MATLAB / 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 ensure requirements flow down, system integration readiness, and technical documentation needed for smooth transition to low rate production.
Maintain configuration control, support engineering change processes, and prepare prototypes and early production IMUs for external evaluation and qualification.