What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sr. Sensor Hardware Engineer (Mixed-Signal, Signal Chain & PCB Design) position at SoundThinking?
SafePointe® is an AI-based concealed weapons detection system built for high-throughput, free-flow screening. We are hiring a Sr. Hardware Engineer to own sensor electronics end-to-end: requirements/specs, mixed-signal PCB design, signal-chain performance, and first-article bring-up/debug. A near-term priority is upgrading the analog/ADC capture path to reduce analog “smearing” (long impulse response) while preserving noise rejection and measurement fidelity.
Essential Responsibilities/Duties
Location: Fremont, CA, Office
Hybrid Workplace
SoundThinking follows a hybrid schedule for employees who live equal to or less than 50 miles from one of our office locations, which include Fremont, CA, Tucson, AZ, Washington, D.C., Orlando, Florida, or Iselin, NJ. Employees are expected to work onsite for a minimum of 3 days per week, unless the advertised role has a specific on-site requirement. The specific days for in-office are dependent on the office location.
Note: The Company reserves exclusive right in its sole discretion to modify, adjust, delete, add or otherwise change the above at any time.
SoundThinking provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, SoundThinking complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
SoundThinking expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of SoundThinking’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact SoundThinking at careers@soundthinking.com for assistance.
The above salary is based on a good faith estimate made at the time of publication and may be modified in the future. The pay offered to a candidate may vary within this range depending on factors such as education, experience, and geographic location.
Essential Responsibilities/Duties
- Own sensor electronics from requirements → schematic → PCB layout review → prototypes → bring-up → validation → ECOs.
- Define and verify signal-chain KPIs (bandwidth, noise, dynamic range, linearity, latency, interference robustness) with clear test methods and acceptance criteria.
- Design/optimize the analog front end (AFE), anti-alias filtering, references/clocking, power, and ADC capture for repeatable, low-noise measurements.
- Lead first-article debug: power rails, clocks, ADC integrity, grounding/return paths, coupling/EMI, and correlation of bench measurements to expected performance.
- Deliver a signal-chain upgrade to reduce long impulse response / preserve time detail (filter topology/cutoffs, oversampling/decimation strategy, ADC changes, and/or adding a raw/pre-filter tap).
- Create calibration characterization plans (factory field), including fixtures, procedures, traceability, and unit-to-unit variation control (e.g., coil matching).
- Define manufacturing test/QC strategy: test points, automated checks, pass/fail limits, and failure analysis workflow with suppliers/CMs.
- Partner with embedded/software ML teams on timing/synchronization, diagnostics, and data-quality requirements; provide hardware-driven root cause and corrective actions.
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering (or related) or equivalent practical experience.
- 6 years in sensor electronics, mixed-signal hardware, instrumentation/DAQ, or similar products.
- Demonstrated ownership of PCB designs through bring-up and validation (schematic layout collaboration lab debug).
- Strong mixed-signal fundamentals: low-noise design, filtering/anti-aliasing, ADC/clocking, grounding/shielding/EMI mitigation.
- Hands-on lab proficiency (scope, DMM, logic analyzer; spectrum analyzer a plus) and systematic debug methodology.
- Component selection and performance tradeoffs across AFE/ADC/filtering/power/EMC constraints.
- Python (or similar) for analysis, test automation, and data-driven validation.
- Magnetic sensing/gradiometry experience; coil design/characterization and interference mitigation.
- Experience optimizing impulse response/group delay/latency in measurement chains while maintaining noise rejection.
- Manufacturing test production calibration at scale; reliability/failure analysis of fielded hardware.
- SI/PI familiarity for mixed-signal boards (stackups, decoupling networks, return-path control, partitioning).
- Embedded Linux familiarity for instrumentation/diagnostics (not the core role).
- PCB CAD: Altium / Cadence / KiCad (at least one).
- Lab: oscilloscope, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer (plus), signal generator, power supplies.
- Process: design reviews, DVT-style validation, clear specs test reports, version-controlled docs.
Location: Fremont, CA, Office
Hybrid Workplace
SoundThinking follows a hybrid schedule for employees who live equal to or less than 50 miles from one of our office locations, which include Fremont, CA, Tucson, AZ, Washington, D.C., Orlando, Florida, or Iselin, NJ. Employees are expected to work onsite for a minimum of 3 days per week, unless the advertised role has a specific on-site requirement. The specific days for in-office are dependent on the office location.
Note: The Company reserves exclusive right in its sole discretion to modify, adjust, delete, add or otherwise change the above at any time.
SoundThinking provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, SoundThinking complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
SoundThinking expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of SoundThinking’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact SoundThinking at careers@soundthinking.com for assistance.
The above salary is based on a good faith estimate made at the time of publication and may be modified in the future. The pay offered to a candidate may vary within this range depending on factors such as education, experience, and geographic location.