Principal Sensor Engineer

Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. Ecolab partners with over one million customers to make the world cleaner, safer, and healthier - to protect people and resources vital to life. At Ecolab, we are science-centered, and people-driven, with a commitment to create a world where people are healthy, businesses can grow, and our planet is respected. Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights, and personal service for customers in foodservice, healthcare, hospitality, and industrial markets around the world.

Innovation is at the center of Ecolab's growth. Research, Development, and Engineering (RD&E) is comprised of over 1,600 innovators that are dedicated to helping our customer achieve their goals. As a part of our global RD&E team, you will be inspired by our purpose and value proposition to deliver best-in-class technology to help ensure our expertise and insights are present whenever and wherever they are needed. Together, we deploy solutions that solve complex operational challenges, build resilience, and reduce risk in a rapidly changing and unpredictable world.

As an Ecolab RD&E team member, you will work in a collaborative, cross-functional, and customer-focused environment. At Ecolab, your voice matters, your contributions are rewarded, and you can make an impact.

The Principal Sensor Engineer is responsible for the design, development, and commercialization of advanced chemical and physical sensing technologies used in industrial, commercial, and customer-facing equipment. This role sits within the Equipment and Connected Solutions (ECS) organization and works cross-divisionally to translate sensing principles into robust, manufacturable sensor solutions that perform reliably in real-world environments. The Principal Sensor Engineer partners with multi-disciplinary teams across Ecolab RD&E to solve impactful customer challenges. As a technical leader, this role provides leadership across sensor concepts, development, and integration from early exploration through product launch.

What you will do:

• Assess sensing needs across divisional applications and translate them into clear technical requirements
• Develop sensor solutions using a combination of internally developed and commercially available technologies
• Research and evaluate new sensing approaches to improve product performance and enable new capabilities
• Build and test prototypes in lab and field environments to assess feasibility, performance, and robustness
• Lead and collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop sensor-enabled products
• Document and communicate results through technical reports, presentations, and demonstrations
• Partner with electronics, firmware, data, mechanical, and product teams on system integration
• Communicate sensor tradeoffs and recommendations (cost, accuracy, reliability) to technical and non-technical stakeholders

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, Chemistry, or a related field
• 5+ years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree, 3+ years with a Master's degree, or a PhD (industry experience not required)
• Hands-on experience with sensor prototyping, experimentation, and validation
• Strong expertise in at least one sensing domain (optical, electrochemical, impedance-based, conductivity, or biosensing)
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally and communicate complex technical concepts clearly

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in Applied or Experimental Physics, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Optical Science, Physical or Analytical Chemistry, or a related field, with 2+ years of post-graduate R&D experience
• Experience developing sensor prototypes using integrated hardware and software platforms
• Demonstrated leadership in cross-functional teams or experience leading technical initiatives or projects
• Experience with project management and driving work from concept through execution
• Familiarity with machine learning or data science approaches applied to sensor systems or data analysis
• Experience developing or supporting embedded, manufactured products
• Experience with analytical instrumentation design or development
• Strong technical writing and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly present results to a range of audiences

Benefits

Ecolab strives to provide comprehensive and market-competitive benefits to meet the needs of our associates and their families.Click here to see our benefits.

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Our Commitment to a Culture of Inclusion & Belonging

At Ecolab, we believe the best teams are inclusive. We are on a journey to create a workplace where every associate can grow and achieve their best. We are committed to fair and equal treatment of associates and applicants and recruit, hire, promote, transfer and provide opportunities for advancement based on individual qualifications and job performance. In all matters affecting employment, compensation, benefits, working conditions, and opportunities for advancement, we will not discriminate against any associate or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, creed, national origin, citizenship status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions, genetic information, marital status, age, disability, or status as a covered veteran.

In addition, we are committed to furthering the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) through Affirmative Action (AA).

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.