Senior MEMS Device Engineer

HRL Laboratories; Malibu (CA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 222,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401K match

Gym facilities

Job summary

HRL Laboratories, LLC is seeking a senior MEMS IMU engineering leader to drive thermal and mechanical design activities for MEMS IMU development. You will conduct finite element simulations, lead end-to-end evaluation, and mature hardware and firmware through prototyping to production.

The role requires extensive experience in inertial sensors, test automation, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure robust design verification and transition to low-rate production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. in a relevant field.
• 10+ years hands-on experience owning sensor development and digital signal processing.
• 6+ years’ experience managing production and test documentation and requirements validation.
• Strong understanding of inertial sensor performance and filtering/compensation.
• Experience with IMU test equipment and test automation/interfaces.
• Proficiency with COMSOL or other FEA tools and MATLAB/Python.
• Knowledge of software best practices including Git, CI/CD, unit/integration testing.

Responsibilities

• Lead thermal and mechanical design activities of the MEMS IMU development and perform design/fab iterations to confirm models.
• Lead end-to-end IMU evaluation and characterization tasks for prototyping, product development, and sustainment.
• Define and execute characterization strategies across environmental, dynamic, and operational conditions with hands-on test setups.
• Analyze performance data, identify drivers, validate models, and investigate anomalies and firmware effects.
• Drive maturation activities, including hardware/firmware debug, failure analysis, and proto improvement.
• Develop lab infrastructure and scripts for evaluation/validation; build automation in Python/MATLAB/Simulink.
• Lead system-level validation with test plans, pass/fail criteria, and reproducible results.

Skills

Sensor development

Digital signal processing

Hardware debugging

Test automation

Version control

CI/CD workflows

Education

Bachelor's / Master's / Ph.D. in a relevant field

Tools

MATLAB

Python

LabVIEW

COMSOL

Git

Altium Designer

Xilinx Vivado

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 Laboratories advances critical structural and functional materials and semiconductor devices that enable precision navigation, quantum technologies and extreme-environment performance. With expertise from design through deployment, we deliver scalable, high-performance solutions that transform our customers’ missions. Our work leverages digital manufacturing and scalable microfabrication techniques to meet tomorrow’s toughest challenges.

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.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead thermal and mechanical design activities of the MEMS IMU development. Conduct finite element simulations of key IMU building blocks and perform design and fabrication iterations to confirm model results
• 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
• 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

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors, Master’s or Ph.D. in relevant field
• 10+ 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
• 6+ years’ 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 COMSOL or other FEA tools and MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW, or similar for data analysis and automation
• 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)

Preferred Qualifications

• 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

Special Requirements

• US Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Security Clearance
• Active Security Clearance is a plus.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Pay Range : $172,900 - $221,600

• 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

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