Sensors Engineer

WindBorne Systems is supercharging weather models with a unique proprietary data source: a global constellation of next-generation smart weather balloons targeting the most critical atmospheric data. We design, manufacture, and operate our own flight hardware and sensors, using the data they collect to generate otherwise unattainable weather intelligence.

Our mission is to eliminate weather uncertainty, and in the process help humanity adapt to climate change, be that predicting hurricanes or speeding the adoption of renewables. We are building a future in which the planet is instrumented by thousands of our microballoons, eliminating gaps in our understanding of the planet and giving people and businesses the information they need to make critical decisions. The founding team of Stanford engineers was named Forbes 2019 30 under 30 and is backed by top investors including Khosla Ventures.

At its core, WindBorne’s vision is to sense as much as is physically possible, everywhere in the world. Starting with weather sensors — temperature, humidity, winds, and pressure —presents a delicate balance of meteorological-grade quality, cost optimization, manufacturing scalability, and extreme environmental conditions. When further combined with the unique performance characteristics of our balloon platform, this tradeoff makes for a very exciting yet challenging problem. As the platform matures, a myriad other sensors — with a myriad of other fun problems — will be developed as well.

As Sensors Engineer, you will be responsible for the calibration of thousands of sensor packages and for managing the automated processes to perform quality control and bias correction of real-time flight data from around the globe. As we continue to scale, you’ll work on optimizing processes and look for ways to improve the sensing package and calibration systems, in terms of capabilities, throughput, and quality.

We're dedicated to helping humanity adapt to climate change as fast as possible, and you can be a part of our mission to make this global societal impact. If you like the idea of working on cutting-edge technology, and working with a fast-moving team, WindBorne is the place for you.

ResponsibilitiesWork on automated custom calibration processes as we scale from hundreds to tens of thousands of balloons while maintaining stringent meteorological accuracy standardsCharacterize and investigate errors of the system, which can be introduced anywhere in the process from calibration to flight, and write scripts to monitor quality as we scale upImprove and maintain software for processing real-time meteorological data, with automated quality control and rejection of bad data, as well as bias correctionThink about potential hardware improvements to sensing mechanisms and calibration rigs to improve throughput and/or data quality, and collaborate with other engineers to implement these changesDevelop and implement new test equipment for better performance characterization of sensor hardware to guide design iterationInvestigate and prototype new types of sensors to add to the platform

Skills and QualificationsRequired Bachelor's or higher degree in a STEM field Experience applying statistics, fitting, and optimizationExperience with processing large datasetsExperience interfacing with sensor hardware and characterizing new data sourcesStandard Python scientific toolbox (Numpy, Scipy, Matplotlib, etc.), Python scripting.Familiarity with the basic underlying physics in common sensorsFamiliarity with the Linux command line, bash, etc.Familiarity with C and C++High level of proficiency with Google Suite (docs, slides, sheets, gmail, calendar)Experience working within a Digital HQ chat platform, e.g. SlackHigh attention to detail to catch issues and concerns before they compromise the accuracy of our data

Nice to haveFirmware and electrical prototyping (low level C, PCB design, soldering, etc.)Mechanical prototyping (CAD, 3D printing, basic machining, etc.)Software development experience in a team settingPhD in experimental physics or electrical engineering

Benefits401(k)Health, Dental, and Vision insuranceUnlimited PTOIncentive Stock Option PlanLocationAddress: 858 San Antonio Rd, Palo Alto, CA. The position is in-person.