Probe Engineer

Responsibilities

• Design flexible, high-density neural probes using thin-film polymer arrays such as polyimide and Parylene C, from layout through fabrication and encapsulation.
• Build probe-to-chip integration and readout signal chains, bonding electrode arrays to amplifier and acquisition electronics and developing low-noise front ends for microvolt neural signals.
• Design insertion needles and needle-pincher mechanisms using micromachining and electrochemical etching.
• Develop insertion strategies for placing flexible probes into soft tissue, including management of bending stiffness, buckling, temporary stiffening, and insertion forces.
• Build precision insertion robots with multi-axis motion, servo and linear-motor drives, and real-time control.
• Develop machine-vision guidance to locate targets, guide needles, and avoid surface vasculature.
• Build electrode characterization and process pipelines covering impedance, electrochemistry, yield, and reliability testing.
• At senior and principal levels, own hardware lines or define probe and robotics roadmaps, drive design and fabrication strategy, mentor engineers, and lead technical initiatives.

Requirements

• Hands-on engineering experience across mechanical design and prototyping, including CAD, machine-shop work, and benchtop validation.
• Experience building precision electromechanical or robotic systems, including multi-axis motion, servo or linear-motor control, and tight tolerance stacks.
• Familiarity with microfabrication and thin-film processes such as photolithography, deposition, etching, and cleanroom work, or demonstrated ability to learn them quickly.
• Experience with real-time control and hardware software, including Python plus C/C++ or comparable technologies.
• Working knowledge of signal acquisition, including low-level analog amplification, digitization, and acquisition systems.
• Interest in neuroscience instrumentation and tissue-mechanics constraints.
• For senior and principal roles: experience taking hardware from concept to a working, validated device; making tradeoffs across precision, reliability, manufacturability, and biocompatibility; and working across mechanical design, fabrication, controls, and system integration.
• Education in mechanical, electrical, biomedical, materials engineering, mechatronics, robotics, applied physics, MEMS/microfabrication, or a related field, with a BS, MS, or PhD and 3 to 12+ years of experience.

Nice-to-haves

• Flexible or thin-film electrode microfabrication using polyimide, Parylene C, or PDMS.
• Electrode electrochemistry.
• Micromachining and electrochemical etching of fine metal tooling, including tungsten or tungsten-rhenium.
• Low-noise analog or mixed-signal front-end design for microvolt-scale recording.
• High-density interconnect and packaging, including flip-chip, wire bonding, or ACF.
• Precision motion control, machine vision, or real-time closed-loop robotics.
• Surgical or medical-device hardware, sterilization, sterile workflows, or regulatory-constrained design.
• Neural interfaces, MEMS sensors, or implantable devices.
• Open-source hardware, instrumentation, or scientific-computing contributions.
• Embedded systems, FPGA, or RTOS experience.
• Mentoring engineers or leading technical initiatives.

Compensation and benefits

• Salary range: $200,000–$350,000.
• Competitive compensation package commensurate with experience and location.
• Philanthropically funded, well-resourced research environment.
• Collaborative, high-risk, high-reward scientific work.
• Open sharing of tools, data, and discoveries under Astera's Open Science Policy.