Staff MEMS Engineer

AEye, Inc; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

AEye, Inc is seeking a Staff MEMS Engineer to own the MEMS mirror technology. You will lead design, testing, and qualification across suppliers, driving the path from concept through volume production with external foundries. The role collaborates across hardware, systems, quality, and operations to meet the product roadmap.

You will oversee electrical and optical characterization, develop automated screening, and guide the MEMS roadmap while interfacing with foundry partners and internal teams.

Qualifications

• Eight or more years in MEMS device engineering with MEMS mirrors or similar actuators.
• Experience bringing MEMS devices from design through external foundry to production.
• Hands-on electrical and optical characterization of MEMS devices.
• Ability to define acceptance criteria and test methods for components.
• Strong written and verbal communication for management and suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Own MEMS mirror baseline: design, process stack, specs, and configuration control.
• Lead MEMS device actuation, sensing, dynamics, and HV behavior analysis.
• Define acceptance criteria and test conditions aligned with system needs.
• Review supplier data, perform root cause analyses, and provide direction.
• Develop MEMS supply roadmap and evaluate alternative sources.
• Lead electrical and optical characterization and automate screening.
• Collaborate with Systems, Quality, and Operations for integration.
• Manage foundry relationships, development plans, and data exchange.
• Provide status, analysis, and recommendations to engineering management.

Skills

MEMS engineering

MEMS mirrors

Electrostatic actuation

Piezoresistive sensing

Wafer bonding

SOI processes

Design simulation

Electrical characterization

Optical characterization

Technical communication

Education

Master's or PhD in electrical engineering

Mechanical engineering

Applied physics

Job description

AEye builds software-defined LiDAR around a pair of MEMS scanning mirrors. The Staff MEMS Engineer is the technical authority for those mirrors: how they are designed, how they perform, and how they are manufactured and qualified for volume production through external foundries. The role works across AEye's systems, hardware, quality and operations teams and with our foundry and component partners and contributes to the long-term MEMS roadmap for the product line.

This is a hands-on individual contributor position with technical ownership. The engineer works with a small MEMS team on characterization, screening and integration, and represents AEye's technical position with suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Own the MEMS mirror technical baseline: device design, process stack and material specification, performance model, and configuration control across suppliers.
• Serve as the in-house expert on MEMS mirror physics: electrostatic actuation, piezoresistive position sensing, dynamics and high-voltage behavior.
• Define acceptance criteria and test conditions for MEMS devices, aligned with system requirements and with suppliers.
• Review and evaluate supplier process data, root cause analyses and design proposals, and provide technical direction.
• Develop the MEMS supply and technology roadmap: design evolution, qualification of additional supply sources, and assessment of commercially available devices against system requirements.
• Lead electrical and optical characterization in the laboratory and drive the development of automated screening and test.
• Work with Systems Engineering on scan pattern, control loop and optical constraints related to the mirror.
• Work with Quality on reliability and root cause analysis, and with Operations on the handoff of screened devices into scanner assembly.
• Manage the technical interface with foundry partners: development plans, data exchange, technical reviews, and on-site engagement as needed.
• Provide clear written status, analysis and recommendations to engineering management.

Required qualifications

• MS or PhD in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, applied physics or a related discipline.
• Eight or more years in MEMS device engineering, including direct experience with MEMS scanning mirrors or comparable electrostatic or piezoelectric actuators.
• Deep understanding of MEMS device design, simulation and behavior, sufficient to evaluate designs and process changes and predict their effect on performance and reliability.
• Experience bringing a MEMS device from design through an external foundry to production, including SOI-based process flows and wafer bonding.
• Experience assessing design alternatives, second-source options or commercial components against system requirements.
• Hands-on electrical and optical characterization of MEMS devices: actuation, position feedback, leakage and breakdown, optical angle measurement.
• Experience defining acceptance criteria and test methods for externally supplied components.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with the ability to document technical positions for management, suppliers and peers.

Preferred qualifications

• Optical MEMS or LiDAR scanning experience.
• Piezoresistive sensing and closed-loop control of MEMS devices.
• Reliability qualification for automotive, aerospace or space applications.
• Photonics background: lasers, free-space beam steering, Gaussian optics.
• Experience managing the technical side of a foundry or supplier relationship.
• Experience in a small, fast-moving engineering organization.

Working environment

• Minimum of 3 days onsite at AEye's Pleasanton facility, with regular laboratory work.
• Ability to lift up to 40lbs
• Periodic travel to supplier and partner sites.

Base Salary Range $175,000-$200,000