Photonics Sensing Architect
Oura
San Francisco, CA · Posted September 18, 2026
Just laid off? Start here: a plan for the first weeks
More in California job market · Technology & Software · Engineering jobs
More roles at Oura
- Senior Hardware Operations Program Specialist · San Francisco, CA
- Principal Materials Engineer, PVD · San Francisco, CA
- Senior AI-Native Product Designer · San Francisco, CA
- Revenue Accounting Manager
- Senior Manager, Operations Program Manager · San Francisco, CA
- Senior Product Designer, Movement · San Francisco, CA
Similar jobs
- Senior Design Engineer · Divergent Technologies · Torrance, CA
- Sr. Associate, Software Engineering 1 · Harris Health Strategic Fund · Carlsbad, CA
- Specialist, Electrical Engineer (Carlsbad, CA) · Harris Health Strategic Fund · Carlsbad, CA
- PMTS Software Development Engineer · Advanced Micro Devices · Santa Clara, CA
- MTS Mask Design Engineer · Advanced Micro Devices · Santa Clara, CA
- Oracle Database Administrator - REMOTE - Secret Clearance Required · Akima Systems Engineering · Port Hueneme, CA
Where San Francisco, CA ranks
Where San Francisco, CA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for security jobs316 openings · of 20
- #1Best cities for technology jobs7,178 openings · of 100
- #1Best cities for financial services pay after cost of living$173k · of 33
- #1Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills35% · of 100
- #1Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the West Coast35% · of 54
- #1Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the West Coast902 jobs · of 47
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
Skills this job asks for
Say which you have and which you want to build. We use it to match you to jobs like this one.
About the job
Our mission at ŌURA is to empower every person to own their inner potential. Our award-winning products help our global community gain a deeper knowledge of their readiness, activity, and sleep quality by using their Oura Ring and its connected app. We've helped millions of people understand and improve their health by providing daily insights and practical steps to inspire healthy lifestyles.
Empowering the world starts with living our values and empowering our team. As a quickly growing company focused on helping people live healthier and happier lives, we ensure that our team members have what they need to do their best work — both in and out of the office.
We are looking for a collaborative, impact-driven Photonics Sensing Engineer who will help engineer, evaluate, and design new optical technologies. You will be working closely with our Director of Hardware Sensing out of the San Francisco office to help define, validate, and translate requirements alongside hardware and cross-functional stakeholders.
What You Will Do:
Sensor Architecture & Design
Define, prototype and validate new sensors (optical like raman, spectroscopy, photoacoustic, QCL etc) for low-power wearable platforms.
Translate sensing requirements into robust hardware specifications aligned with product goals.
Development & Integration
Lead integration of optical sensors into Oura hardware, ensuring calibration, noise management, power efficiency, and high-quality signal acquisition.
Design and execute sensor characterization and validation tests from prototype through production.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Collaborate with firmware, algorithm, and systems teams to ensure accurate motion data feeds into Oura’s signal processing and machine learning stacks.
Contribute to product planning and sensor roadmap discussions based on performance feedback and technology advances.
Testing & Validation
Develop and maintain rigorous test methodologies, metrics, and automation frameworks for motion sensor performance evaluation.
Analyze sensor data to diagnose edge cases and performance bottlenecks and define corrective actions.
Supplier & Partner Coordination
Engage with sensor vendors, partners, and manufacturers to assess technology options, secure components, and optimize integration into mass-production workflows.
Documentation & Communication
Produce clear technical documentation of sensor designs, trade studies, test plans, and performance metrics.
Present findings and recommendations to engineering leadership and cross-disciplinary stakeholders.
This is a hybrid role out of our San Francisco office.
What you'll bring
5+ years of optical and electrode sensor or similar sensor design and integration roles.
Experience with optical and electrode sensors, and low-power embedded sensor interfaces.
Strong background in sensor characterization, signal quality analysis, embedded systems, and data integrity practices.
Excellent analytical problem-solving and written/verbal communication skills.
Collaborative mindset with experience working across hardware, firmware, and analytics teams.
Benefits
At Ōura, we care about you and your well-being. Everyone here at Ōura has a ring of their own and we are continually looking to improve employee health.
What we offer:
Competitive salary and equity packages
Health, dental, vision insurance, and mental health resources
An Ōura Ring of your own plus employee discounts for friends & family
20 days of paid time off plus 13 paid holidays plus 8 days of flexible wellness time off
Paid sick leave and parental leave
Ōura takes a market-based approach to pay, which may vary depending on your location. US locations are categorized into tiers based on a cost of labor index for that geographic area. While most offers will be closer to the starting range, successful candidates' pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, internal peer equity, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.
Region 1: $216,000 - $255,000
We are not considering candidates residing in the following states: Alaska (AK), Delaware (DE), Iowa (IA), Mississippi (MS), Nebraska (NE), South Dakota (SD), West Virginia (WV), and Wisconsin (WI).
ŌURA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Individuals seeking employment at ŌURA are considered without regard to age, ancestry, color, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, protected family care or medical leave status, race, religion (including beliefs and practices or the absence thereof), sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.
We will work to ensure individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.
Disclaimer: Beware of fake job offers! We’ve been alerted to scammers posing as ŌURA recruiters, especially for remote roles. Please note:
Our jobs are listed only on the ŌURA Careers page and trusted job boards.
We will never ask for personal information like ID or payment for equipment upfront.
Official offers are sent through Docusign after a verbal offer, not via text or email.
Stay cautious and protect your personal details.
To all recruitment agencies: ŌURA does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, ŌURA employees, or any other organization's location. ŌURA is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.