Staff Design Engineer, Optics

As a Staff Design Engineer, Optics at Oura, your main responsibilities encompass conducting in-depth optical simulations for our consumer electronics, especially focusing on PPG sensor design. You’ll optimize light propagation modeling, analyze tolerances for varying environmental conditions, and work collaboratively with engineers from other disciplines. Additionally, you'll prototype and validate designs, ensuring our products excel in optical performance. Your expertise will drive the realization of innovative features in our health-focused technology.

To apply for the Staff Design Engineer, Optics position at Oura, you should possess at least a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Optical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, or a related field. A minimum of 10 years’ experience in optical sensor design, particularly in biomedical or wearable applications, is preferred. Proficiency in optical modeling tools like Zemax or SPEOS, alongside a solid understanding of light-tissue interactions and PPG principles, is essential for this role.

The Staff Design Engineer, Optics plays a vital role in Oura's product development by utilizing their expertise in optical simulation to enhance product features. They work on creating accurate optical models for sensors, optimizing signal quality through light propagation simulations, and ensuring that designs accommodate variations in real-world conditions. This role is crucial for developing reliable, high-performance products that improve user health insights effectively.

At Oura, a Staff Design Engineer, Optics typically employs advanced optical modeling tools like Zemax and SPEOS for simulations. Familiarity with optical lab equipment, such as spectrometers and photodetectors, is necessary. Additionally, basic knowledge of programming languages like MATLAB or Python is beneficial for analyzing sensor data. Experience in 3D CAD modeling is also important to integrate optical systems into wearable designs seamlessly.

As a Staff Design Engineer, Optics at Oura, you'll be part of a rapidly expanding team, offering numerous growth opportunities. With hands-on involvement in innovative product development, you can advance your technical skills while contributing to cutting-edge health technology. Oura emphasizes personal and professional development, ensuring that you have the resources and support to continue growing and leading impactful projects.

When asked about your experience with optical sensor design, highlight your relevant projects and the specific roles you undertook. Discuss any optical modeling tools you've utilized, your understanding of PPG principles, and your successful outcomes in previous designs. This not only demonstrates your technical proficiency but also shows your ability to contribute to Oura’s goals.

In answering this question, detail your process for light propagation modeling, including the tools you use and how you optimize interactions for signal quality. Discuss specific experiences where your modeling has improved design outcomes, showcasing how your expertise aligns with the responsibilities of the Staff Design Engineer role at Oura.

Describe specific challenges related to optical engineering you’ve encountered, such as data discrepancies or design limitations. Explain your problem-solving approach and the strategies you implemented to overcome those challenges. Highlight how these experiences have prepared you for the complex projects you might face at Oura.

When discussing your prototype development experience, provide specific examples of projects where you’ve built and tested prototypes. Emphasize the iterative process of design, testing, and optimizing based on performance data, demonstrating how your experience is relevant to the work you would do at Oura.

Outline your approach to ensuring robustness in optical designs, including methods you use to evaluate tolerances in skin tone and ambient conditions. Discuss tools and simulations you employ, as well as any relevant strategies that ensure reliability across varying environments, making it clear how this focus aligns with Oura’s mission.

Talk about your proficiency levels in MATLAB or Python, mentioning any projects where you used these programming languages for sensor data analysis. This can include writing scripts for data evaluation or developing algorithms that enhance signal quality, indicating how well you can support the technical side of the Staff Design Engineer role at Oura.

Collaboration is key in engineering roles. Share examples of past collaborations with mechanical, electrical, or biomedical engineers, emphasizing how you communicated and integrated optical designs into broader projects. This showcases your teamwork skills, a vital aspect for a Staff Design Engineer at Oura.

Provide a compelling story of an optical project where you played a significant role, detailing your contributions, the technologies involved, challenges faced, and ultimate outcomes. This gives interviewers insight into your capability to lead and innovate, reinforcing your fit for the position at Oura.

Discuss specific strategies you have implemented in previous roles to improve signal-to-noise ratio. This might include innovative solutions during design or collaborative efforts with electrical teams. Highlight how you can bring these strategies to Oura to enhance the performance of their products.

Talk about your methods for keeping current with advancements in optical engineering, such as attending conferences, publishing papers, or participating in professional organizations. This demonstrates your commitment to professional growth and keeping Oura at the top of technological innovation.