Senior Electrical Test Engineer, Sensors

HRL Laboratories, LLC; Malibu (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401K match

PTO / Sick time

Gym facilities

Job summary

HRL Laboratories in California seeks an experienced engineer to lead end‑to‑end IMU evaluation and characterization, maturing hardware from R&D toward production. You will define test plans, build automated setups, and analyze data to identify drivers and drift behaviors.

Responsibilities include sustaining maturation activities, collaborating across disciplines, and preparing prototypes for external evaluation while maintaining configuration control and rigorous documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. in a relevant field.
• 5+ years hands-on experience owning sensor development, including prototype bring up, hardware/firmware integration, performance validation, and schematic-level hardware design and debug.
• 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).
• Working knowledge of microcontrollers/SoCs, ADCs/DACs, and serial interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, Ethernet).

Responsibilities

• Lead end to end IMU evaluation and characterization tasks supporting prototyping, product development, and sustainment, with emphasis on maturing hardware 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, and drift behaviors.
• Drive sustaining and maturation activities, 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

Skills

Sensor development

Prototype bring up

Hardware/firmware integration

Performance validation

Schematic design

Test automation

MATLAB

Python

Data analysis

Serial interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in relevant field

Tools

MATLAB

Python

LabVIEW

Altium Designer

Xilinx Vivado

I2C/SPI/UART

Job description

HRL Laboratories, an IBM company, pioneers the next frontiers of physical and information science. Delivering transformative technologies in automotive, aerospace and defense, HRL advances the critical missions of its customers to help them remove limitations and create competitive advantage. HRL then transitions the work back to customers - ready for real-world application. For more than 70 years, HRL’s rich portfolio of scientific discoveries and engineering innovations continues to build on each other - often in unexpected, profound and far-reaching ways. As a private company owned by IBM, HRL prioritizes purpose over profit, 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. Engineered with navigation-grade precision, these IMUs provide a cost-effective and scalable solution for automotive, aerospace, and other demanding applications where traditional GPS reliance falls short.

These innovations aim to deliver a first-of-its-kind navigation-grade product that combines reliability, precision, and affordability. By offering a viable alternative to traditional IMUs, HRL's MEMS technology is advancing the capabilities of autonomous systems and enabling precise navigation in challenging environments.

• Lead end to end IMU evaluation and characterization tasks supporting prototyping, product development, and sustainment, with emphasis on maturing hardware 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, and drift behaviors.
• Drive sustaining and maturation activities, 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

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors, master’s or Ph.D. in relevant field
• 5+ years hands on experience owning sensor development, including prototype bring up, hardware/firmware integration, performance validation, and schematic-level hardware design and debug
• 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)
• Working knowledge of microcontrollers/SoCs, ADCs/DACs, and serial interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, Ethernet)

Preferred Qualifications

• 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

Special Requirements

• US citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government security clearance

Compensation and Benefits

• Pay Range: $$154,500 - $197,900
• Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location (California). The range displayed on each job posting reflects the target range for new hire salaries for the position. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.
• Benefits: HRL offers a generous and very competitive total compensation and benefits package. Our Regular/Full Time benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401K match, gym facilities, PTO, Sick time, upward mobility, and an exciting and challenging work environment.
• For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: https://www.hrl.com/careers/benefits

Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At HRL, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

If you would like more information about Equal Employment Opportunity as an applicant under the law, please go to Employees & Job Applicants | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

For our privacy policy please visit: www.hrl.com/privacy