| Location | California, MD |
| Salary | $175,000–$215,000 Per Year |
Role Overview
We are seeking a Principal Hardware Applications Engineer to act as the technical bridge between our MEMS sensor products and our customers. In this role, you will work closely with FAEs, R&D, and product teams to enable successful design-in, integration, and deployment of MEMS sensors across consumer, industrial, and IoT applications.
Key Responsibilities
Customer & Field Support
Serve as the primary technical interface for key customers during design-in, validation, and production phases
Provide hands-on support for sensor integration, calibration, signal conditioning, and system optimization
Debug complex system-level issues involving hardware and firmware
Support customer on-site visits, technical reviews, and failure analysis when required
Product Enablement & Solutions
Develop and deliver application notes, User Guides, reference designs, and evaluation guides
Design PCBs
Program and debug C code for embedded systems and firmware development.
Guide customers on sensor selection, performance trade-offs, and architecture decisions
Build and Support evaluation kits (EVKs), bring-up, and firmware/software examples
Assist in defining system requirements and translating them into sensor-level specifications
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with R&D and product marketing to provide customer feedback and influence roadmap decisions
Support FAEs with technical presentations, proof-of-concepts, and pre-sales engagements
Partner with quality and operations teams on RMA analysis, root cause investigations, and corrective actions
Technical Leadership
Act as a technical mentor to junior applications engineers
Contribute to best practices for applications engineering processes and tools
Required Qualifications
Education
Experience
10+ years of experience in applications engineering, field applications engineering (FAE), or systems engineering
Proven experience working with MEMS sensors such as:
IMUs (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer)
Strong background in hardware, embedded systems and sensor signal chains
Technical Skills
Solid understanding of:
MEMS sensor physics and performance parameters (noise, bias, drift, sensitivity, cross-axis error)
Analog and digital interfaces (I²C, SPI, UART)
Sensor calibration and compensation techniques
Hands-on experience with:
Microcontrollers and embedded firmware
Lab equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, environmental chambers)
Ability to develop and debug across hardware, firmware, and software layers
Preferred / Nice-to-Have Skills
Experience in consumer electronics, industrial, or IoT markets
Familiarity with sensor fusion algorithms and motion processing
Python, C/C++, or MATLAB for data analysis and tooling
Experience supporting high-volume production and manufacturing ramp-ups
Prior customer-facing experience in a semiconductor environment
InvenSense, a TDK group company, is a world-leading provider of MEMS and magnetic sensor solutions found in mobile, wearable, smart home, AR/VR, and other consumer and IoT applications. We are innovators with a 20+ year history of patented sensor technologies. As experts in our field, we lead industry breakthroughs in consumer, industrial and automotive technology and reliably deliver high-quality solutions to our partners across global markets. Learn more about us at invensense.tdk.com.
The starting annual base pay for this role ranges between USD $175,000.00 and $215,000.00. The actual base pay is dependent on various factors, including training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and market conditions. This range is subject to change and may be adjusted in the future.
This position is open to candidates based in San Jose, CA with a hybrid work requirement (on-site presence required). The role is also eligible for variable bonus programs and benefits.