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
Annual or Hourly Compensation Range
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.
If you are viewing this posting on a site other than our Ecolab Career website, view our benefits at jobs.ecolab.com/working-here.
Potential Customer Requirements Notice
To meet customer requirements and comply with local or state regulations, applicants for certain customer-facing roles may need to:
- Undergo additional background screens and/or drug/alcohol testing for customer credentialing.
- Be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, including a booster if eligible, unless a religious or medical accommodation is requested by the applicant and approved by Ecolab.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Ecolab will provide reasonable accommodation (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with our application process upon request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require accommodation assistance in this application process, please visit the Recruiting Support link in the footer of each page of our career website.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, Chemistry, or a related field
- 5+ years relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree, 3+ years with a Master's degree, or a PhD
- 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
- PhD in Applied or Experimental Physics, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Optical Science, Physical or Analytical Chemistry, or related field, with 2+ years 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
Ecolab Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Ecolab and has not been reviewed or approved by Ecolab.
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Retirement Support — Feedback suggests the company provides strong retirement programs, including a 401(k) with employer matching and a pension, alongside options like an employee stock purchase plan. Offerings such as retiree healthcare benefits and diverse investment choices reinforce long-term financial support.
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Healthcare Strength — Feedback suggests medical coverage is broad, with HSA plan options and company contributions, prescription benefits, dental and vision, and virtual care and mental health support. Company-paid wellness programs and income protection (short- and long-term disability, life and accident) further strengthen core coverage.
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Parental & Family Support — Family-focused programs include fertility support, adoption assistance, and paid parental leave, complemented by counseling and resource services. These offerings are positioned as supportive of employee well-being across different life stages.
Ecolab Insights
What We Do
A trusted partner at nearly three million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. With annual sales of $12 billion and more than 44,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights and personalized service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies and sustainability for customers in the food, healthcare, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com, or follow us on twitter.com/ecolab, facebook.com/ecolab or instagram.com/ecolab_inc.
