Job Application for Hardware Engineer, Optical Sensing at Ōura

Our mission at Oura 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 2.5 million 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 Optical Sensing Engineer to join our hardware team working on future wearables and accessory devices reporting directly to the Director, Hardware Sensing Technologies. This opportunity will be hybrid out of our San Diego or San Francisco office.

What you will do:

Design and development of optical systems for physiological sensing in wearable health and wellness products
Perform detailed optical simulations to guide emitter-detector design, placement, and light-path optimization within compact, body-worn devices
Develop optical architectures that balance signal quality, power efficiency, and mechanical integration
Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and firmware teams to ensure robust signal acquisition across diverse usage and environmental conditions
Design and execute test protocols to evaluate system performance across various skin types, motion conditions, and lighting environments
Partner with data science and signal processing teams to support feature development and improve signal robustness
Interface with component vendors to assess and qualify optical emitters, detectors, filters, and mechanical elements for integration
Travel occasionally to Finland and to international manufacturing sites as needed (15%–20%)

Problem-Solving: Diagnose and troubleshoot complex firmware issues, ensuring robust, reliable performance across all devices.
Contribute to Strategy: Play a key role in strategic decisions related to firmware architecture and technology stack, aligning with our mission to revolutionize the wearable technology industry.

Requirements

We would love to have you on our team if you have:

Technical Expertise

Strong electrical engineering background and experience with the design and testing of low-noise analog or mixed-signal systems
Strong understanding of time-series physiological signal acquisition, including best practices for minimizing noise and motion artifacts
Familiarity with algorithmic methods for time-series signal modeling and calculating physiological metrics
Simulation and modeling experience using tools like ANSYS, CST, or COMSOL
Skilled in embedded software and data acquisition tools such as C/C++, Python, or similar
Experience with data analysis and signal processing tools such as Python, MATLAB, or JMP

Problem Solving and Analytical Thinking

Strong experimental and analytical skills with a methodical approach to isolating and debugging complex issues across hardware and algorithm domains
Ability to work independently through ambiguity and rapidly iterate on early-stage concepts
Driven by data and eager to understand root causes behind performance issues

Communication and Collaboration

Effective communicator across disciplines, with the ability to clearly convey technical insights both in written and verbal form to technical and non-technical audiences
Experience working in cross-functional teams spanning hardware, firmware, product, and research
Contributed to project documentation, planning, and alignment with stakeholders

Educational Background

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, physics,or related field with 7+ years of relevant industry experience
Master’s degree with 5+ years, or PhD with 2+ years of relevant industry experience

Prototyping and Testing

Hands-on experience building and characterizing early-stage hardware systems
Proficiency using various lab instrumentation tools such as digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, signal generators, spectrum analyzers, physiological simulators, power analyzers, and environmental chambers

Bonus Points:

Experience developing or integrating physiological sensing systems into wearable or health-oriented products
Track record of supporting high volume products from early prototyping through manufacturing and launch
Knowledge of regulatory or safety standards for health-related technologies
Prior work in validation studies or performance benchmarking across diverse populations

Benefits

At Oura, we care about you and your well-being. Everyone here at Oura has a ring of their own and we are continually looking to improve employee health and add to our benefits!

What we offer:

Competitive salary and equity packages
Health, dental, vision insurance, and mental health resources
An Oura Ring of your own + employee discounts for friends & family
Fertility benefits through Carrot Pro
Flexible working hours and remote working arrangements
$750 Learning & Development credit
20 days of PTO + 13 paid holidays + 8 days of flexible wellness time off
5 days paid sick leave, 5 days bereavement leave, 12 weeks paid parental leave
Amazing culture of collaborative and passionate coworkers

Oura 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 Range (SF): $142,000 - $228,000
Region 2 Range (SD): $130,000 - $211,000

A recruiter can determine your zones/tiers based on your US location.

Oura 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 Oura 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!
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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.

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To all recruitment agencies: Oura does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Oura employees, or any other organization's location. Oura is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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