Staff R&D Engineer-Algorithm

Align Technology; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 210,100 - 288,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Discounts on Invisalign

Flexible Spending Accounts

401k plan with company match

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

Align Technology is seeking a Staff R&D Engineer - Algorithm in San Jose to drive the development of advanced algorithms for health products. The role involves shaping algorithm intelligence using machine learning and physiological data, working with cross-functional teams to deploy solutions efficiently.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD in relevant fields with extensive experience in wearable technologies. A collaborative mindset and strong problem-solving skills are essential. Align offers competitive compensation and a range of employee benefits.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience with a BS, 8+ years with an MS.
• Hands-on experience developing algorithms for wearable health products.
• Strong knowledge of signal processing and machine learning techniques.

Responsibilities

• Lead algorithm development for health monitoring using wearable sensors.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including hardware and software.
• Evaluate sensor data quality to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Skills

Wearable IoT technologies

Physiological signal processing

Machine learning

Signal processing

Cross-functional collaboration

Algorithm validation

Python coding

Project management

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or Computer Science

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

Department: Research & Development

Location: US-California-San Jose

Compensation: $210,100 - $288,900 / year

Description

We are looking for a Staff R&D Engineer - Algorithm with proven expertise in wearable IoT technologies and physiological signal processing, and machine learning to lead the development of advanced algorithms that power our next‑generation health and wellness products. He/she will play a key role in shaping the intelligence behind our devices, driving end‑to‑end algorithm development from concept through deployment. This role is ideal for someone passionate about health tech and skilled in extracting meaningful insights from sensor data to improve lives. The success of this position will be measured by the success of the team in advancing technology development and launching new products in market.

Role Expectations

• Lead the research, design, development, and optimization of algorithms for health and wellness monitoring using data from wearable sensors.
• Architect robust signal processing and machine learning pipelines for physiological metrics.
• Evaluate sensor signal quality, integrity, and reliability to ensure accurate data interpretation and algorithm performance.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with hardware, firmware, and software teams to ensure accurate, efficient, and scalable algorithm deployment.
• Validate algorithms with real-world and clinical-grade datasets, ensuring robustness across diverse populations and use cases.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of algorithm development, bringing in best practices from academic research and industry trends.
• Support optimization of algorithms for real-time, on-device execution on low-power embedded systems.
• Enable flexible deployment of algorithms both on-device and in the cloud, ensuring scalability, maintainability, and performance across platforms.

What We’re Looking For

• BS with 10+ years, MS with 8+ years, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• Hands‑on industry experience developing and deploying algorithms for wearable or IoT-based health and fitness products.
• Deep expertise in signal processing, machine learning, and physiological data analysis (e.g., PPG, ECG, accelerometry).
• Strong experience working with wearable sensors and evaluating sensor signal quality and integrity.
• Strong knowledge of embedded system constraints and experience optimizing for real-time or low‑power devices.
• Proven ability to work cross‑functionally with hardware, firmware, and software teams to bring algorithms from concept to production.
• Experience validating algorithms using real-world and clinical-grade datasets.
• Hands‑on experience with machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Familiarity with industry best practices and academic research in digital health, biomedical engineering, or related fields.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills, a collaborative mindset, and a passion for improving lives through technology.
• Strong implementation skills, including translating algorithmic concepts into efficient, maintainable, and scalable code using Python.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, written, and visual communication skills, with ability to present findings concisely and effectively.
• Experience in regulated environments (e.g., FDA, CE‑marked devices) or familiarity with clinical validation studies is a plus.

Family Benefits

Align offers employees and their eligible dependents medical (with a Health Savings Account option for some plan offerings), dental, and vision in accordance with those plans. Align also offers the following benefits:

• Discounts on Invisalign and Vivera to employees and their eligible dependents after 90 days of employment.
• Back‑up Child/Elder Care and access to a caregiving concierge.
• Family Forming Benefits – Available to Employees, and their spouse or domestic partner, covered under one of Align’s health plans.
• Breast Milk Delivery and Lactation Support Services.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Hinge Health Virtual Physical Therapy – Available to all employees and eligible dependents (age 18+) enrolled in an Align medical Plan.

Employee Benefits

• Short‑term and long‑term disability insurance in accordance with those plans.
• Basic Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment; Voluntary Supplemental Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse/Domestic Partner, and Child(ren) are available for purchase in accordance with those plans.
• Flexible Spending Accounts – Employees may be eligible to participate in a health care account (including a limited health FSA if enrolled in an HDHP), dependent care account, and a pre‑tax commuter benefit plan.
• 401k plan (with a discretionary Company match of 50% up to 6% of eligible earnings, up to a maximum match of 3%). Employer match vests after two years – 25% year one and 100% at year two. Align offers traditional, Roth, and after‑tax options.
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (Employees must work 20 hours or more and be employed on purchase date to be eligible).
• Paid vacation of up to 17 days during the first full year of employment (currently accrued at the rate of 5.24 hours each pay‑period), which carries over to a maximum cap of 30 days. Annual paid vacation time accrual increases based on tenure. Both exempt and non‑exempt employees who work 32 hours or more per week receive prorated vacation accrual based on their regularly scheduled work hours and tenure.
• Sick time is accrued throughout the year at the rate of one hour for every thirty worked. Employees can carry over unused sick leave each year, up to a maximum balance of 80 hours.
• 11 Company‑designated paid holidays throughout the year.
• Parental Leave: if employed for at least 12 consecutive months, up to 6 weeks of paid parental leave; if employed for less than 12 consecutive months, up to 4 weeks. All parental leave must be completed within one year of the birth or placement of the child. Parental leave is in addition to any state and/or local parental leave benefits.
• Three days of paid bereavement leave.
• Non‑exempt employees will receive full pay for up to 10 days of jury duty. Exempt employees will receive their full salary during any week they serve and perform any work.
• Other insurance such as legal, critical illness, voluntary accident, long‑term care, auto, home and pet insurance are available for purchase.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Align Technology is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities in all our practices, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, protected veteran status, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected category. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are applying, and employment eligibility will be verified as a condition of hire.