AFE Test & Integration Engineer

We’re hiring for an innovative neurotechnology company that is developing a high-channel-count neural recording ASIC for an implantable brain-computer interface. An external IC design partner designs and fabricates the chip. In this role, you will lead the independent, in-house validation of its analog front end: building the bench setup, bringing up first silicon, and characterizing the chip against spec with your own equipment and protocols.

This is an excellent first industry role for an engineer with strong analog fundamentals from school or research. You’ll get hands-on bench and systems experience on a cutting-edge medical device program, with day-to-day mentoring from a senior ASIC design lead.

Key Information

• Location: San Diego, CA
• Work mode: On-site (hands-on lab role)
• Employment type: Full-time, permanent
• Salary range: $100,000 – $135,000 per year

Key Responsibilities

• Bench test setup: Build and maintain the fixtures and instrumentation used to bring up and characterize first silicon.
• Test plans & protocols: Co-develop bench test plans and sample-size rationale with the ASIC Design & Verification team, following rigorous design verification standards.
• Independent characterization: Measure the analog front end against spec, per channel and across the array: noise floor, input-referred noise, CMRR, power consumption and channel-to-channel crosstalk.
• System integration testing: Support integration of the ASIC into the full signal chain, including the electrode array and lead.
• Documentation: Write characterization and integration test reports that feed into verification and design history file (DHF) records.
• Growth: Grow into the primary owner of the AFE characterization test suite as the program moves from first silicon through qualification.

Profile

Must-haves

• BS, MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Bioengineering or a related field.
• Academic, thesis or research experience in analog front-end / biopotential amplifier design , such as chopper-stabilized or low-noise instrumentation amplifiers, or ADC architectures (SAR, delta-sigma).
• Hands-on bench skills with oscilloscopes, source-measure units and signal generators, plus basic noise-measurement technique.
• Proficiency in Python or MATLAB for data analysis and test automation.

Nice-to-haves

• Familiarity with electrode-tissue interface concepts (electrode-electrolyte impedance, EIS, Randles-cell modeling).
• Experience with silicon bring-up or IC characterization.
• Exposure to neural recording, biomedical instrumentation or implantable devices.
• Internship or research experience in semiconductors or medtech.

No professional experience required. Strong fundamentals from coursework, thesis or internship work matter most. Medical-device and program-specific training will be provided.