Hardware Engineer, Precision Instrumentation

Hardware EngineerAs a Hardware Engineer, you will design and build the physical systems our experiments depend on, most of which don't exist commercially. Working directly with scientists, you will take a project from a well-specified plan or a rough idea through design, fabrication, and iteration until it works for the experiment. The work crosses mechanical design, fabrication, electronics, and optics, often within a single project.Required:Bachelor's degree (or equivalent experience) in mechanical, electrical, or biomedical engineering, physics, or a related field, with a track record of building precision hardware in a high-precision industry (e.g., medical devices, robotics, aerospace, semiconductor capital equipment, or commercial scientific instrumentation).Experience designing and building hardware that other people relied on for real work, and keeping it running.Resourcefulness about getting things built quickly: comfortable machining one part, 3D-printing the next, and outsourcing what's better made elsewhere.Comfort working from a rough idea rather than a finished spec, figuring out the path to a working instrument together with the people who need it.Deep fundamentals in mechanical design and fabrication, with real working ability in electronics or optics; you do not restrict yourself to what is familiar.Intellectual curiosity, collaborative instincts, and eagerness to learn the science around you.A track record of owning complex instruments end-to-end, from concept through fabrication, integration, and reliable operation.Experience making and defending design tradeoffs across performance, manufacturability, cost, and timeline.Experience equipping and running a workshop, makerspace, or prototyping facility.Preferred/Nice to Have:Experience with small precise parts, difficult materials, tight tolerances, precision motion, or optical alignment.Hands-on electronics design experience (PCB layout, embedded systems, sensor/actuator integration).Familiarity with electrophysiology or other low-volume, high-complexity hardware environments.CAD/CAM proficiency with hands-on machining (CNC, lathe, mill) and 3D printing.Experience integrating hardware with data acquisition systems (DAQ, TTL synchronization, serial/SPI protocols).Join a founding-caliber hardware team building instruments that don't exist anywhere else, in service of understanding how the brain works.

You'll own complex builds end-to-end, work shoulder-to-shoulder with the scientists who use what you make, and help shape the engineering culture, tools, and standards of our design and prototyping facility as the team grows.Astera Neuro provides a comprehensive benefits package and total compensation that is competitive and commensurate with the level of experience and qualifications.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion!