MEMS Engineer

Zero Point Motion; Bristol; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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Pension

Private medical insurance

Job summary

A leading MEMS technology company in the UK seeks a MEMS Engineer to design and characterize moving MEMS structures for optical inertial sensors. The ideal candidate will have a Master’s degree, experience in MEMS tape-outs, and strong Python skills. This fast-paced role involves extensive collaboration with cross-functional teams and requires a hands-on approach to MEMS design and testing. A passion for learning and iterative improvement in MEMS design is essential.

Qualifications

• Must have completed at least two MEMS tape-outs.
• Experience with designed and tested moving MEMS structures.
• Strong proficiency in mechanical and electromechanical modelling.
• Demonstrated interest in automation and data-driven analysis.

Responsibilities

• Design and simulate moving MEMS structures.
• Close the loop between design, simulation, fabrication, and measurement.
• Write Python code for simulation workflows and data analysis.
• Participate directly in MEMS testing and measurement.

Skills

Mechanical and electromechanical modelling in COMSOL

Strong Python coding ability

Understanding of mechanics fundamentals

Familiarity with data analysis

Education

Master’s degree in engineering or physics

Tools

COMSOL

Job description

Zero Point Motion is rethinking how MEMS sensors are designed, simulated, tested, and scaled.

This role is for a hands‑on MEMS engineer who has already taken designs through multiple tape‑outs, seen where simulation breaks down, and wants to push MEMS beyond the slow, conservative, incremental playbook that dominates the field.

If you want to maintain legacy MEMS architectures inside a large organisation, this role is not for you. If you want to learn faster than the field normally allows – and help define a new sensing paradigm – it might be.

The Role

As a MEMS Engineer, you will design, simulate, tape‑out, and characterise moving MEMS structures that form the mechanical core of our optical inertial sensors.

This is a high learning‑velocity role. You are expected to:

• Close the loop between design, simulation, fabrication, and measurement,
• Improve the tools and workflows used to do that,
• Take increasing ownership of MEMS “ground truth” inside the company.

You will work closely with photonics, electronics, FPGA, and experimental teams, as well as the Head of R&D and Head of Foundry.

What You’ll Do

MEMS design, modelling & tape‑out

• Design moving MEMS structures (inertial sensors preferred; resonators, oscillators, microphones also acceptable).
• Perform mechanical and electromechanical modelling in COMSOL (non‑negotiable).
• Apply first‑principles mechanics to stiffness, modes, damping, Q, and electrostatic actuation.
• Translate system‑level requirements into concrete MEMS design parameters.
• Prepare layouts and documentation for foundry submission.

Closed‑loop learning (hard requirement)

• You must have completed at least two MEMS tape‑outs prior to joining ZPM.
• Characterise fabricated devices and compare measurements against simulated and ideal models.
• Identify model breakdowns and update assumptions, parameters, and design rules accordingly.
• Treat tape‑out as a learning exercise, not a handoff.

Coding, data & automation (explicit)

• Write substantial Python code to support:
  • simulation workflows,
  • test data analysis,
  • automation of metrology and characterisation.
• Work comfortably with large datasets and statistical analysis.
• Contribute to improving ZPM’s MEMS design and simulation flow.
• Care about reproducibility, version control, and software quality.

This role is not suitable for MEMS engineers who avoid coding or treat it as secondary.

Testing & cross‑domain work

• Participate directly in MEMS testing and measurement.
• Be rigorous and honest in the interpretation of results.
• Learn photonics at the component level and understand how optical readout changes MEMS design trade‑offs.
• Be open to non‑traditional MEMS approaches when justified by data.

Required Background

You must have:

• A Master’s degree (or higher) in engineering or physics.
• Experience with at least two MEMS tape‑outs.
• Designed and tested moving MEMS structures.
• Strong proficiency in COMSOL for mechanical and electromechanical modelling.
• Solid grounding in mechanics fundamentals.
• Strong Python coding ability with non‑trivial use.
• Demonstrated interest in automation and data‑driven analysis.
• A careful, disciplined approach to testing and interpretation.

If you have not closed the loop between MEMS design and fabricated devices at least twice, this role is not a fit.

Who This Role Is For

This role is for someone who:

• Has seen MEMS fail to behave as simulated – and learned from it.
• Wants to keep doing MEMS, but not inside a slow, conservative organisation.
• Reads broadly and thinks critically about the state of the field.
• Wants to improve how MEMS is designed and analysed – not just draw layouts.
• Is comfortable learning photonics as part of a new sensing approach.
• Values evidence, iteration speed, and intellectual honesty over tradition.

What This Role Is Not

This is not:

• a layout‑only MEMS role,
• a simulation‑only role,
• a position detached from fabrication and testing,
• a place where “it worked in COMSOL” is an acceptable answer.

What Success Looks Like

After 6–12 months:

• MEMS designs converge faster with each iteration.
• Gaps between simulation and measurement are understood and shrinking.
• MEMS analysis and metrology workflows are faster and more robust.
• MEMS data feeds cleanly into system‑ and photonics‑level decisions.
• You are trusted as an owner of MEMS design reality, not just layouts.

Working with us

• Compensation: Our framework is built on fairness and transparency, with regular reviews to reflect growth and performance.
• Benefits: Share options, pension, and private medical insurance.
• Culture: A deep‑tech rocketship backed by leading investors. We’re building breakthrough technology with real commercial impact. Pace is high. Standards are higher.

Zero Point Motion is determined to foster belonging and empowerment at work. We are committed to providing a work environment where there’s a zero‑tolerance approach to discrimination, and everyone is treated with respect. Equity, diversity and inclusion are central to our mission,and we strongly encourage candidates of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us.