Staff Electrical R&D Lead

Employer description

At WHOOP, we’re on a mission to unlock and inspire performance for life. WHOOP empowers members to perform at a higher level through a deeper understanding of their bodies and daily lives.

WHOOP is hiring a Staff Electrical R&D Lead to drive the advanced development of next-generation wearable sensing technologies. As part of the Hardware Engineering team, you will lead the exploration, design, characterization, and validation of novel sensing systems, developing a deep understanding of the complete signal chain - from the underlying physiological signals and sensor interfaces through analog and digital electronics to downstream system requirements. You will combine strong electrical engineering fundamentals, hands-on experimentation, and advanced data analysis to translate complex system behavior into architecture and design improvements that optimize sensing performance.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role for an engineer who combines deep electrical expertise with exceptional systems thinking, analytical rigor, and technical judgment. You will guide and mentor engineers while working closely with Electrical, Mechanical, Firmware, Signal Processing, and WHOOP Labs teams to evaluate emerging technologies, define system requirements, identify performance limitations, and drive technical decisions. You will help establish the technical direction for advanced electrical development, balancing innovation with product feasibility, performance, and development timelines.

RESPONSIBILITIES:Lead advanced electrical development initiatives, driving technical direction from early-stage technology exploration and sensor evaluation through feasibility, prototyping, system characterization, and design validation

Develop a deep understanding of the complete sensing signal chain, including sensor behavior, analog front-end performance, electrical interfaces, physiological characteristics, and downstream system requirements, to inform electrical architecture decisions and optimize end-to-end sensing performance.

Define and execute experiments to characterize sensor and system behavior, isolate variables, identify performance limitations, and evaluate interactions across electrical, mechanical, physiological, and environmental conditions

Execute data analysis to translate experimental findings into actionable electrical design improvements, technical recommendations, and quantitative performance requirements.

Drive the evaluation, integration, and validation of new sensing technologies, establishing test methodologies, performance criteria, and system-level requirements that support reliable operation across real-world use cases

Partner closely with Electrical, Mechanical, Firmware, Signal Processing, and WHOOP Labs teams to understand system dependencies, evaluate technical tradeoffs, and ensure electrical designs support broader sensing system performance objectives

Lead complex technical investigations and root-cause analysis, combining first-principles engineering, bench measurements, system telemetry, and structured experimentation to identify risks and drive effective design solutions

Guide and mentor engineers across advanced development projects, setting technical priorities, providing design review and technical direction, and driving cross-functional alignment while maintaining strong hands-on engineering contributions

Translate ambiguous technical challenges into actionable development plans, proactively communicating technical risks, recommendations, and progress while balancing engineering rigor with product and schedule objectives

Remain hands-on with circuit design and simulation, prototype bring-up, hardware debugging, and design iteration, directly contributing to critical technical investigations and design decisions

QUALIFICATIONS:Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience

8+ years of relevant electrical engineering, hardware R&D, or sensing systems development experience, with demonstrated technical leadership and ownership of complex engineering projects

Deep electrical engineering fundamentals across analog and digital circuit design, sensor interfaces, signal integrity, noise analysis, and system-level electrical architecture

Strong systems-level understanding of sensing technologies

Exceptional hands-on experimentation, hardware characterization, and debugging skills, with the ability to apply first-principles engineering and structured analysis to complex technical challenges

Proficiency in Python or equivalent tools

Demonstrated ability to lead ambiguous, cross-functional technical initiatives, guide engineering decisions, mentor other engineers, and drive technical challenges to resolution

Strong commitment to embracing and leveraging AI tools in day-to-day tasks, ensuring AI-assisted work aligns with the same high-quality standards as personal contributions