Image Sensor Characterization Engineer

Job Overview

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Associate Staff provide critical multi-domain through expert multi-domain innovative research supporting the Laboratory’s national security mission. They prototype state-of-the-art technology solutions and engage in many steps of a program lifecycle with increasing independence and responsibility. As an Associate Staff member, you will contribute independently to multidisciplinary efforts, contribute to sponsor briefings, write test plans and reports, and apply complex and creative solutions to solving technical problems. You may own discrete project/program components or lead complex workstreams and small teams. 

As a successful candidate, you will bring solid to strong technical depth, broaden your understanding across adjacent disciplines, and adapt approaches where precedent is limited. You will integrate technical inputs, contribute to program documentation and reporting, and collaborate with interdisciplinary project/program teams supporting projects that may range from rapid, high-risk efforts to longer-term mission programs. Your work will include multiple activities such as hardware and software development, systems analysis, data analysis, component fabrication, system integration, testing, and documentation. 

Additional Job Overview Details

The Advanced Imager Technology Group performs research and development of imager devices and subsystem-level technology for the DoD and scientific community. Our efforts include visible- and infrared-band detectors for applications such as ground- and space-based surveillance, adaptive optics, and astronomy. The group's efforts span the range of device and materials development, integrated circuit design and fabrication, custom packaging, detector hybridization, and the development of control and readout electronics for system-level demonstrations. Our group is seeking to hire an Image Sensor Characterization Engineer to test visible and short-wave infrared band charge-coupled device (CCD) and active-pixel sensor (APS) imagers.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Own or lead design, development, data analysis, programming, modeling, simulation, integration, testing, troubleshooting, and technical evaluation activities within broader project or program efforts. 
• Apply technical depth and judgment to less-defined and complex problems, identifying appropriate methods, adapting established approaches, and evaluating trade-offs. 
• Contribute to or lead system-, subsystem-, or component-level work spanning multiple disciplines, mission needs, products, or technical focus areas. 
• Develop, review, and integrate technical documentation, analyses, design materials, program reporting, presentations, papers, and other deliverables. 
• Coordinate milestones, assumptions, dependencies, quality expectations, and risks and present findings, recommendations, and alternatives to appropriate audiences. 
• Provide technical guidance, review, feedback, and mentorship while continuing to deepen mission-aligned expertise. 

Additional Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Characterize imager performance across key metrics such as shorts-opens yield, dark current, charge-transfer efficiency, and quantum efficiency at the wafer, chip, and packaged device level.
• Form hypotheses to explain observed performance and measure test block structures (e.g., discrete transistors) to test those hypotheses.
• Provide written reports to internal and external audiences summarizing testing results and archive test data.
• Design and procure printed circuit boards needed to interface image sensors to test electronics and automated wafer probers.
• Maintain the electronics used to operate image sensors and identify opportunities to improve testing infrastructure.
• Review computer aided design (CAD) device layouts to identify potential issues that could adversely impact performance or yield.
• Contribute to the development of new capabilities such as custom cryostats and optical testbeds.
• Work with the packaging team to identify and procure the appropriate hardware needed to package image sensors and provide the required documentation to packaging laboratory personnel for wafer dicing and package assembly.

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates will be considered for the appropriate level based on their education, experience, demonstrated technical capabilities, leadership responsibilities, and the scope and complexity of their prior work. 

Level 3 – Associate Staff 

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline or other relevant technical field and typically 2+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree and typically 0+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Solid technical depth in a primary engineering, research, or other technical domain, with the ability to apply knowledge independently. 
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical problems and manage components of project work. 
• Experience contributing to technical documentation, analyses, reports, presentations, or project deliverables. 
• Ability to collaborate across project teams and communicate technical information clearly to appropriate audiences. 
• Emerging ability to guide less experienced colleagues and contribute to team capability development. 

Level 4 – Associate Staff 

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline or other relevant technical field and typically 4+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree and typically 2+ years of relevant experience; a PhD may be considered; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Strong technical depth in a primary domain with emerging breadth across related engineering, research, technical disciplines, or mission areas. 
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical problems and lead components of projects or technical workstreams. 
• Experience managing milestones, dependencies, risks, and deliverables for assigned project areas. 
• Ability to communicate complex information to varied audiences and collaborate with project teams, sponsors, and internal partners. 
• Demonstrated ability to mentor others, review work, and contribute to team technical capability. 

Additional Minimum Qualifications

Candidates should hold a degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.  Candidates should also have deep expertise in at least two of the following areas:

• Scientific CMOS or charge-coupled device (CCD) imager testing
• Camera electronics
• Semiconductor device physics
• Semiconductor wafer probing
• Image sensor device design
• Transistor modeling and characterization
• Printed circuit board design