Senior Systems Engineer, Optical & Embedded Sensing Platforms

Imagine yourself…  

• Owning your ambition and fueling your career growth. 

• Thriving in a supportive team environment that inspires you to strive for excellence. 

• Joining a company with a proven track record of success and an exciting future.

• Contributing to a brighter, more sustainable future. 

It’s possible with a role at Sea-Bird Scientific. Headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, Sea-Bird Scientific, a Veralto company, is the world’s largest developer and manufacturer of products for the measurement of salinity, temperature, pressure, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence, nutrients and related oceanographic parameters in marine waters. We offer products to support best-in-class oceanography and climate science. We offer an entrepreneurial environment that is team-centered, customer-driven, quality-focused, and growth-oriented.

At Sea-Bird Scientific and Veralto, you’ll be part of a unique culture and work environment where purpose meets possibility: where the work you do every day directly supports the health and sustainability of our oceans and their ecosystems, and where you’ll have access to robust opportunities to deepen your skillset and develop your career.   

We offer:

• Flexible working hours
• Professional onboarding and training options
• Powerful team looking forward to working with you
• Career coaching and development opportunities
• Health benefits
• 401(k)

The Sea-Bird Scientific Research & Development team is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer with deep, hands-on experience spanning oceanographic sensing applications, electronic design, embedded firmware, and optical sensing systems. This role will provide system-level architecture and technical leadership for next-generation oceanographic instrumentation. The successful candidate will integrate opto-electronic subsystems, low-noise analog electronics, embedded control, and calibration methodologies into compact, power-efficient, and robust submersible sensors. This position emphasizes deep oceanographic sensing domain knowledge, practical engineering execution, cross-disciplinary system integration, and end-to-end product development ownership.

This position reports directly to the VP of Research and Development.

In this role, a typical day will look like:

System Architecture & Optical Design Leadership

• Serve as technical lead for system architecture, with primary ownership of optical and opto-electronic system design, spanning optics, electronics, firmware, and mechanical interfaces.
• Define and manage optical performance budgets (SNR, dynamic range, spectral response, stray light, stability, drift, and calibration fidelity).
• Collaborate closely with mechanical engineering to ensure optical alignment stability, pressure tolerance, and thermal performance in subsea environments.
• Electronic, Opto-Electronic & Embedded System Development
• Design and develop low-noise analog and mixed-signal electronics for optical detection systems (photodiode TIAs, lock-in detection, ADC interfaces, precision references).
• Architect embedded firmware for sensor control, optical signal acquisition, calibration workflows, and real-time processing.
• Implement firmware-based filtering, signal processing, and diagnostic capabilities for optical and non-optcal measurements.

System Engineering & Integration

• Perform modeling and simulation of optical systems (radiometric performance, signal propagation, noise sources) and validate through bench testing.
• Lead integration of optical, electronic, and firmware subsystems, ensuring coherent system performance.
• Define and execute verification and validation strategies, including optical calibration, environmental testing, and long-term stability assessments.
• Technology Development & Innovation Leadership
• Lead and contribute to strategic technology projects focused on advancing sensing capabilities (e.g., new measurement modalities, improved sensitivity, miniaturization, or power efficiency).
• Drive early-stage prototyping, feasibility studies, and proof-of-concept demonstrations for next-generation sensing approaches.
• Partner with science and product teams to translate measurement requirements into novel system architectures.

Technical Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead cross-functional design reviews with a strong focus on system performance and integration risks.
• Provide mentorship in engineering and system design to multidisciplinary teams.
• Lead root-cause analysis for complex system issues spanning optics, electronics, and firmware.
• Document architectures, design rationale, and performance analysis to support product lifecycle and knowledge continuity.

The essential requirements of the job include:

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering, or closely related engineering discipline.

• Minimum of 10 years of practical engineering experience in the design and development of integrated electronic and opto-electronic systems.

• Demonstrated experience delivering complex instrumentation from concept through production.

• Strong background in analog and mixed-signal electronic design, including low-noise photodiode and sensor front-end circuits.

• Hands-on embedded firmware development experience (C/C++, microcontrollers, real-time acquisition systems).

• Experience integrating optical subsystems including LEDs, photodetectors, optical filters, and fibers.

• Proven system-level engineering experience including requirements development, architecture, and verification planning.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with oceanographic or environmental optical measurements (fluorescence, transmissometry, radiometry, backscatter, absorption).
• Proficiency with optical modeling and simulation tools (e.g., Zemax, TracePro, or equivalent).
• Expertise in low-power optical system design for battery-operated instruments.
• Knowledge of advanced optical signal processing and calibration techniques.
• Track record of leading technology development or innovation projects.
• Strong troubleshooting capability across optical, electronic, and embedded domains.

Core Competencies

• System-level thinking with strong practical implementation skills
• Cross-disciplinary integration (optics, electronics, firmware, mechanics)
• Low-noise instrumentation design expertise
• Structured problem solving and root-cause analysis
• Technical leadership and mentorship
• Clear technical communication and documentation

Sea-Bird Scientific is proud to part of the Water Quality segment of Veralto (NYSE: VLTO), a $5B global leader dedicated to ensuring access to clean water, safe food and medicine, and trusted essential goods. When you join Veralto’s vibrant global network of 17,000 associates, you join a unique culture and work environment where purpose meets possibility: where the work you do has an everyday impact on the resources and essentials we all rely on, and where you’ll have valuable opportunities to deepen your skillset, pursue your ambitions, and grow your career. Together, we’re Safeguarding the World’s Most Vital Resources™—and building rewarding careers along the way.

US ONLY: 

The below range reflects the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future. An associate’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, any collective bargaining agreements, and business or organizational needs.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees. 

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law. 

US residents: In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Veralto Corporation and all Veralto Companies are committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics protected by law. We value diversity and the existence of similarities and differences, both visible and not, found in our workforce, workplace and throughout the markets we serve.  Our associates, customers and shareholders contribute unique and different perspectives as a result of these diverse attributes.

The EEO posters are available here.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at [email protected] to request accommodation.
 

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