Instrumentation Engineer

Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety; Richburg (SC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare plan

401k retirement

Life insurance

Paid time off

Family leave

Disability insurance

Training & development

Job summary

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is seeking a hands-on Instrumentation Engineer for its Richburg, SC research center. You will design, build, and improve sensing, actuation, and data acquisition systems powering large-scale tests of resilience against hurricanes and other hazards.

You will work with analyzers, actuators, microcontrollers, and wiring diagrams to support safe, reliable lab operations and field testing, collaborating across engineering teams to advance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering required; Master’s preferred.
• 2–5 years of hands-on instrumentation experience recommended.
• Experience with analog and digital sensors and signal conditioning.
• Knowledge of NI hardware and LabVIEW is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design, install, calibrate, and maintain instrumentation for lab and field testing.
• Select, integrate, and control actuators and other electromechanical devices.
• Develop and maintain DAQ systems using National Instruments hardware and LabVIEW.
• Prototype measurement solutions with microcontrollers like Arduino.
• Read, create, and update wiring diagrams to support test setups.
• Troubleshoot instrumentation and electronics issues to keep research on schedule.
• Collaborate with engineers and technicians to develop new instrumentation solutions.
• Maintain calibration and configuration records.
• Follow safety standards in all activities.

Skills

Instrumentation

Data Acquisition

LabVIEW

National Instruments

Wiring & electronics

Embedded systems

DAQ systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

LabVIEW

Arduino

CAD tools

Job description

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is seeking a hands-on, curious Instrumentation Engineer to join our research team at the IBHS Research Center in Richburg, SC — home to one of the world’s few full-scale test chambers capable of recreating hurricanes, hailstorms, wildfire ember exposure, and other severe weather in a controlled laboratory setting. In this role, you will design, build, integrate, and improve the sensing, actuation, and data acquisition systems that power our large-scale testing. Your work directly supports research that makes homes and businesses more resilient against severe weather.
This is a great fit for an engineer who enjoys working with real hardware — someone who likes to figure out how a system works, make it better, and see the results in action.

What You’ll Do

• Design, install, calibrate, and maintain instrumentation used in laboratory and field testing, including a wide range of analog and digital sensors.
• Select, integrate, and control actuators such as servo motors, solenoid valves, and other electromechanical devices.
• Develop and maintain data acquisition (DAQ) systems, primarily using National Instruments hardware and LabVIEW software.
• Prototype and support measurement and control solutions using microcontroller platforms (e.g., Arduino) and other embedded systems where appropriate.
• Read, create, and update wiring diagrams and support electrical and mechanical design of test setups.
• Troubleshoot and resolve instrumentation and electronics issues quickly to keep research on schedule.
• Evaluate existing systems and identify opportunities to improve accuracy, reliability, and performance.
• Collaborate with engineers, scientists, and technicians to develop new instrumentation solutions for novel test programs.
• Maintain accurate records of calibration, maintenance, and system configurations.
• Follow safety standards and protocols in all lab and field activities.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering required; Master’s degree preferred. Mechanical or electrical engineering are the preferred disciplines; closely related fields such as mechatronics, aerospace engineering, computer engineering, or engineering technology are also welcome.
• 2–5 years of experience with instrumentation, measurement, or electromechanical systems (relevant graduate research or strong hands‑on project experience may count toward this).
• Experience with analog and digital sensors (e.g., pressure, load, displacement, temperature) and signal conditioning.
• Experience with actuators, including servo motors, solenoids, and solenoid valves.
• Experience with data acquisition systems — National Instruments hardware and LabVIEW architecture strongly preferred; experience with Arduino or similar platforms is a plus.
• Strong hands‑on skills: wiring, assembly, testing, and troubleshooting of electromechanical systems.
• Familiarity with mechanical and electrical design and the ability to interpret wiring diagrams and drawings.
• Independent thinking and strong critical‑thinking skills — able to learn unfamiliar systems quickly and optimize them for better performance.
• Good organizational skills, attention to detail, and clear communication with cross‑functional teams.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks in a dynamic research environment.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Python or MATLAB for data processing and analysis.
• Familiarity with CAD tools for design of fixtures or test setups.
• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development