Senior Optical Health Sensing Engineer, Pixel Hardware

Google; Town of Montana (WI); On-site; USD 159,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Bonus target

Benefits

Job summary

Google is seeking a Senior Optical Health Sensing Engineer for the Pixel Hardware team to lead design, characterization, and integration of the PPG sensor in Google wearables. You will drive optical simulations, hardware integration, and mass-production productization across smartwatches and wearables.

You will collaborate with EE, PD/Mechanical, and Manufacturing teams to mitigate motion artifacts and optimize sensor performance from concept to high-volume production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in EE, CE, Physics or related field.
• 4 years of optical sensor design experience.
• Experience with Python or MATLAB for scripting and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Model and simulate light-tissue interactions to optimize optical paths.
• Optimize optical geometries, back-cover curvature, light guides, and lens stacks.
• Write Engineering Requirements Specifications for PPG subsystems.
• Lead component selection for LEDs, photodiodes, optical filters, and AFE silicon.
• Collaborate on schematic reviews, PCB routing, and mechanical packaging constraints.
• Lead benchtop bring-up, optical characterization and validation.
• Define factory test requirements and calibration methodologies.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for yield.

Skills

Optical sensor design

Python

MATLAB

Education

Bachelor's degree in EE/CE/Physics or related field

Master's degree or PhD in EE/CE/Physics or related field

Tools

Zemax

LightTools

TracePro

FRED

Oscilloscope

Spectrometer

Job description

Senior Optical Health Sensing Engineer, Pixel Hardware

Location: Mountain View, CA, USA

Experience Level: Mid

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 4 years of experience working on optical sensor design.
• Experience in scripting and data analysis using Python or MATLAB.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Experience with hardware bring-up, bench characterization, and oscilloscope/spectrometer lab equipment.
• Proficiency in optical modeling and simulation software (e.g., Zemax, LightTools, TracePro, or FRED).
• Strong understanding of photoplethysmography (PPG) fundamentals, tissue optics, and photodetector/LED physics.

About the Job

Be part of a team that pushes boundaries, developing custom silicon solutions that power the future of Google's direct-to-consumer products. You'll contribute to the innovation behind products loved by millions worldwide. Your expertise will shape the next generation of hardware experiences, delivering unparalleled performance, efficiency, and integration.

In this role, you will be directly in charge of the design, characterization, and integration of the Photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor into Google wearable products. You will lead the architecture, optical simulation, hardware integration, and mass-production productization of advanced bio-optical sensing systems across consumer health devices (smartwatches, fitness trackers, and wearables).

You will work at the intersection of optical design, biomedical sensing physics, optoelectronics, and cross-functional hardware development. Collaborating closely with Algorithm/DSP, Electrical Engineering (EE), Product Design (PD/Mechanical), and Manufacturing teams, you will drive motion-artifact mitigation from initial concept through mass-production ramp.

The Google Pixel team focuses on designing and delivering the world's most helpful mobile experience. The team works on shaping the future of Pixel devices and services through some of the most advanced designs, techniques, products, and experiences in consumer electronics. This includes bringing together the best of Google's artificial intelligence, software, and hardware to build global smartphones and create transformative experiences for users across the world.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

• US: $159000 - $230000 (USD) + 15% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google

Responsibilities

• Model and simulate light-tissue interactions (Monte Carlo simulations, ray-tracing via LightTools/Zemax) to optimize LED-to-PD optical paths and engagement depth.
• Optimize optical geometries, back-cover curvature, light guides, optical crosstalk isolation, and lens stackups.
• Author Engineering Requirements Specifications (ERS) for PPG optical subsystems, defining SNR, Perfusion Index (PI), Signal-to-Motion Ratio (SMR), and power efficiency.
• Drive component selection and custom development for LEDs (wavelengths/binning), photodiode arrays, optical filters, and Analog Front-End (AFE) silicon.
• Collaborate with EE and PD teams on schematic reviews, PCB/FPC routing, and mechanical packaging constraints.
• Lead benchtop bring-up, optical characterization, Direct/Reflected Light Path (DLP/RLP) baseline analysis, and dynamic range extension validation.
• Define and implement factory test requirements, optical calibration, and FATP station testing methodologies.
• Lead root-cause failure analysis (FA) during development builds and drive corrective actions for yield regressions.

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