Sensor Development Engineer III - Speed and Position Sensing

Position Summary:

The Sensor Development Engineer is responsible for leading the development of speed and position sensing products from concept through production launch. Serves as the technical leader for assigned programs, translating customer requirements into robust sensing solutions through the integration of magnetic design, sensor electronics, materials, mechanical packaging, validation, and manufacturing processes. Collaborates with customers and cross-functional teams to deliver innovative, reliable, and cost-effective products that meet performance, quality, timing, and business objectives.

Position Requirements:

1. Serve as the technical leader and primary engineering owner for assigned speed and position sensing product development programs from concept through production launch, ensuring successful execution of technical, quality, timing, cost, and customer requirements.
2. Translate customer application requirements, specifications, and performance expectations into product requirements, design targets, validation criteria, and engineering deliverables.
3. Collaborate with customers, product engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality, supply chain, sales, and program management teams to achieve technical, commercial, and program objectives.
4. Lead design reviews, technical risk assessments, DFMEA activities, and engineering decisionmaking processes to ensure products meet performance, manufacturability, reliability, cost, and quality objectives.
5. Design and develop speed and position sensing solutions, including Variable Reluctance (VR), Hall-effect/active, and Magnetic Resistive (MR) sensor technologies.
6. Develop and evaluate magnetic circuit designs including pole-piece geometry, magnet selection and placement, flux-path optimization, and target/tone-wheel interactions to achieve required sensing performance.
7. Analyze and optimize sensor performance including signal amplitude, waveform quality, zero crossing accuracy, timing performance, speed response, air-gap sensitivity, tolerance stack-up effects, and operation across temperature and environmental conditions.
8. Develop and evaluate active sensor architectures incorporating Hall-effect and MR integrated circuits, including analog and digital signal processing, filtering, output interfaces, noise mitigation, timing performance, temperature stability, and EMC considerations.
9. Support coil and electrical design activities, including turn count, resistance, inductance, signal conditioning requirements, and tradeoff analysis between output amplitude, response characteristics, and system performance.
10. Design and optimize sensor packaging, encapsulation, and sealing solutions utilizing injection molding, transfer molding, low-pressure molding, overmolding, potting, and related manufacturing processes to ensure product durability and environmental protection.
11. Select and evaluate materials based on thermal performance, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), chemical compatibility, mechanical durability, and the effects of mechanical stress and thermal expansion on sensor performance.
12. Plan, execute, and interpret prototype evaluations, design verification (DV), production validation (PV), and environmental testing activities using laboratory and data acquisition equipment to validate product performance and reliability.
13. Assess and validate system-level performance including signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), timing accuracy, jitter, drift, electrical robustness, and environmental durability under customer-specific operating conditions.
14. Lead and support root-cause investigations and corrective actions related to development issues, validation failures, manufacturing concerns, and field returns; correlate laboratory results with design, process, and application variables.
15. Support Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Reliability (DFR), APQP, PPAP, and production launch activities, including resolution of launch-related technical issues and transition of products into volume manufacturing.
16. Provide technical leadership in the evaluation, qualification, and selection of materials, suppliers, and critical components supporting sensor development and production requirements.
17. Create and maintain technical documentation including drawings, specifications, design records, risk assessments, test plans, validation reports, engineering change documentation, and customer-facing technical deliverables.
18. Individuals directed by management to operate a vehicle for work purposes will observe the requirements of the Fleet Safety Program.
19. Support, promote, and perform in a manner consistent with continuous improvement goals and the values of SSI Technologies, LLC. which includes following the policies, procedures, and requirements of our Quality Management and IS0 14001 Environmental Management Systems.
20. All other duties as assigned by your supervisor.

Professional/Technical Experience, Skills and Education:

1. Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Mechatronics Engineering, or related engineering discipline, required.
2. Demonstrated experience serving as the primary technical owner of products or systems through the full product development lifecycle, from concept through production launch, required.
3. Hands-on experience with one or more of the following sensing technologies: Variable Reluctance (VR) sensors, Hall-effect sensors, Magnetoresistive (MR) sensors, Rotary position sensors, Linear position sensors, and Speed sensing systems. required.
4. Strong understanding of electromagnetic and magnetic circuit design principles, including flux density, reluctance, inductance, magnetic materials, air-gap effects, and sensor performance tradeoffs. Required.
5. Experience translating customer requirements and specifications into product requirements, design targets, validation plans, and engineering deliverables. Required.
6. Experience with customer-facing engineering activities, including technical discussions, requirements reviews, issue resolution, and presentation of engineering solutions. Required.
7. Experience analyzing and optimizing sensor performance, including signal quality, timing accuracy, zero-crossing performance, air-gap sensitivity, temperature effects, tolerance stack-up, and environmental influences. Required.
8. Experience planning and executing design verification and validation testing using laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, data acquisition systems, and signal analysis tools. Required.
9. Experience leading root-cause investigations and implementing corrective actions for development, validation, manufacturing, or field performance issues. Required.
10. Experience working within automotive product development processes, including APQP, DFMEA, PPAP, engineering change management, and production launch support. Required.
11. Demonstrated ability to independently lead multiple technical projects while balancing performance, quality, timing, and cost objectives. Required.
12. Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate with customers, suppliers, manufacturing personnel, program managers, and executive leadership. Required.

Key Attributes:

• Performs under minimal supervision
• Handles complex issues.
• Comprehensive level of knowledge.
• Provides mentoring and coaching.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time or in the future.