Sensor Characterization Engineer

Pairwise•Redmond, WA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

At Pairwise, we are a team of engineers, operators, and builders focused on enabling the next generation of technical talent to do their best work. We partner with leading technology companies to deliver high-performance engineering solutions across embedded systems, networking, semiconductors, and software. Our teams have contributed to some of the most advanced products in consumer, infrastructure, and communications technologies. This full-time role offers the chance to work on-site with a global leader in the technology industry, contributing to impactful, technically challenging projects in a high-caliber and fast-moving environment. Overview We are seeking a hands-on Sensor Characterization Engineer to join a sensors and sensing systems team driving innovation in Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) and wearable consumer hardware. This team develops the novel sensing hardware and methods that power the next generation of immersive devices. In this role, you will own the benchtop characterization of the sensors at the core of these products - IMUs, magnetometers, strain gauges, temperature sensors, and others. You will define test methods, run the measurements, and turn the resulting data into calibration parameters, error models, and clear reports that hardware and firmware teams act on. Strong MATLAB and Python scripting is essential along with measurement science and sensor domain expertise.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, or any suitable combination of education and experience.
3+ years of hands-on sensor characterization, sensor test, or metrology experience.
Proficiency in MATLAB and Python for measurement automation, data analysis, and reporting.
Working knowledge of inertial sensors and their characterization methods, including noise and stability analysis such as Allan variance.
Solid understanding of sensor error sources and metrics, including bias, drift, noise, scale factor, and sensitivity.
Hands-on benchtop testing experience with lab instrumentation.

Nice To Haves

Experience with rate tables or other precision motion references for IMU characterization.
Magnetometer characterization and calibration experience, including bias and drift compensation.
Experience with coexistence or interference characterization across sensor and audio subsystems.
Ultrasonic sensor characterization experience.
Domain expertise in MEMS, wearable, or AR/VR sensing systems.
Experience with version control such as Git and automated test workflows.
Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset for working across multi-disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

Define and execute benchtop characterization plans for inertial and environmental sensors, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, strain gauges, and temperature sensors.
Characterize sensor performance across the operating range: bias, drift, noise, scale factor, sensitivity, cross-axis coupling, and temperature dependence.
Perform Allan variance and related noise and stability analysis for inertial sensors.
Run rate-table IMU characterization and develop and validate the associated calibration routines.
Characterize sensor coexistence and interference with other active device subsystems, such as audio.
Automate measurement, data processing, and analysis using MATLAB and Python, with a focus on accuracy and repeatability.
Analyze results and produce clear characterization reports that feed back into hardware and firmware design decisions.
Collaborate with hardware, firmware, and systems engineers to refine test methods and interpret results.