System Validation Engineer - Staff

Overview/Job Summery
As a system validation engineer, you will be a leader focused on driving MEMS microphone development from design to manufacturing release. Work cross-functionally with ASIC, MEMS, and package throughout the full product and system design, in close collaboration with test, quality, reliability, failure analysis, and final customer applications, to deliver cutting-edge MEMS devices to market. The system validation engineer oversees the planning, execution, data analysis, and reporting of product performance, with a focus on the complete characterization of the microphone device's electrical and acoustical performance. The role leverages acoustical expertise and product management skills to address technical development issues, working closely with many customers to resolve complex challenges.
 

Job Description
Responsibilities will include:
•    Own product validation and characterization across process and test condition corners at the bench level and identify any deviations from the requirements. 
•    Conduct performance evaluations, covering electrical and acoustical aspects, of products and ASIC, MEMS, and package design-of-experiments (DoEs) at the microphone module level.
•    Establish validation methodologies, test coverage, acceptance criteria, and reporting requirements.
•    Define validation scope, objectives, plans, and schedules based on input from large volume customers.
•    Create documentation for validation test designs and support the development of automated test setups. 
•    Support the bring-up of new microphone products, including initial hardware and software readiness activities. Define, develop, execute, and validate test trim routines.
•    Execute validation tests, analyze results, and perform root-cause analysis for performance, reliability, and specification-related issues. Conduct investigations and deep technical analysis when required to isolate ASIC, MEMS, and package device-related issues. Support debug activities, including collaboration with design and development teams.
•    Manage validation equipment, including availability, maintenance coordination, readiness, and appropriate utilization. Ensure validation activities are conducted in accordance with applicable safety, quality, and operational requirements.
•    Perform and analyze correlations across the product development process and investigate discrepancies. Identify trends, sources of variation, and potential risks through statistical and engineering analysis. Support the development of accurate, traceable, and repeatable validation data sets.
•    Prepare validation reports, technical summaries, dashboards, and review materials. Present results, risks, deviations, and recommendations to project stakeholders and customers as appropriate.
•    Collaborate with TDK design, product, quality, manufacturing, applications, and technology development teams.
•    Maintain clear documentation of test plans, test conditions, results, issues, conclusions, and follow-up actions.
•    Support efforts to improve model and simulation quality, accuracy, and correlation with measured device and module performance. Provide validation expertise to technology development experiments.
•    Contribute to defining and improving standard validation processes, tools, and best practices. Develop new validation solutions and methodologies through technology development initiatives to identify opportunities to increase validation efficiency, automation, test coverage, and data quality.
 

Key attributes:
•    Strong knowledge of programming languages for data analysis and test automation, such as Python, Matlab, and LabVIEW 
•    Acoustic lab validation background is a big plus for the required qualifications
•    Self-motivated with a strong desire to learn
•    Ability to juggle multiple projects at a time
•    Strong organizational skills and the ability to work on aggressive schedules
•    Strong analytical skills
•    Ability to draw conclusions from complex data set and present them at a detailed, high level depending upon the audience 
•    Solid understanding of statistical analysis 
•    Strong critical thinking and systematic problem-solving skills
•    Good oral and written communication skills as well as intercultural competence to successfully collaborate with stakeholders around the globe. Working language is English.
•    Willingness to travel when required
 

Qualifications
•    A master’s degree in electrical/electronic, mechanical engineering, physics, materials science, or a related field. A PhD is a plus.
•    5+ years of lab validation or characterization engineering experience shipping MEMS/semiconductor devices to high-volume customers
•    Scripting and automation experience is a plus
•    Strong English communication skills
 

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.