Research Hardware Engineer
About The Position
Arbor Neuroscience (formerly Forest Neurotech) is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to solving the challenge of changing brain circuits by design to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. Millions of people suffer from conditions like depression and chronic pain for which current treatments are ineffective. Arbor aims to improve this by developing a new class of experiments that involve intervening in brain circuits, measuring their response, and tracking symptom changes over time. The organization is building an experimental platform that includes the Forest 1 ultrasound system, capable of imaging and soon stimulating brain activity with high resolution. They are also incorporating electrode-based interfaces for animal studies and developing models to predict neuromodulation outcomes. Arbor operates as a Focused Research Organization within the Convergent Research family, focusing on multidisciplinary translational work. The initial funding is secured, and the early hires will play a crucial role in shaping the organization's future.
Requirements
- Depth in at least one of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or bioengineering, with sufficient working knowledge of the others.
- A proven track record of building physical things like instruments, devices, rigs, or research hardware, ideally in environments with unclear or evolving requirements.
- Credibility and judgment to effectively work with an external engineering team and ensure project requirements are met.
- Comfort with CAD software.
- Comfort with simple board design.
- A network of contacts to draw upon for work that cannot be done in-house.
- Genuine interest in the experiments and clinical applications the hardware serves.
- Direct communication style: state thoughts clearly, ask questions when unsure, and avoid internal competition.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with ultrasound systems or transducers.
- Experience with neural interfaces, electrodes, or implantable hardware.
- Experience with wearable or at-home medical devices.
- Experience working with large animals.
- Experience at a small company or academic lab where personal tooling was developed.
- Experience with regulatory or safety testing.
Responsibilities
- Work directly with scientists to understand experimental needs and translate them into hardware requirements.
- Own Arbor's involvement in Forest 1 development, including characterizing performance, defining requirements for future versions, and collaborating with the engineering partner.
- Design, build, and validate hardware for a novel platform combining bidirectional electrophysiology and ultrasound in animals, encompassing implants, headstage interfaces, simple circuit boards, and test rigs.
- Develop a portable and robust version of Forest 1 for use outside the clinic.
- Determine which hardware components should be built in-house versus contracted out, and manage external contractors.
- Prepare hardware platforms for external collaborators by ensuring documentation, reproducibility, and robustness.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance (most plans fully covered for employee and dependents).
- 401(k) with up to 6% match.
- Company-paid life and AD&D insurance, with voluntary supplemental options.
- 15 holidays plus a floating birthday holiday.
- 3 weeks of Paid Time Off (PTO) that increases with tenure.
- Separate sick leave.
- Consideration for U.S. work authorization sponsorship (case by case), covering legal and government fees.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
