Electrical Engineering & Hardware Prototyping Lead (Research Scientist or Senior Engineer)

Research Scientist or Senior Engineer
Electrical Engineering & Hardware Prototyping Lead
At Dartmouth's Cluster for Improving Healthcare Outcomes through Sensory Technology

Description
The Cluster for Improving Healthcare Outcomes through Sensory Technology at Dartmouth invites applications for a Research Scientist or Senior Engineer to serve as the Electrical Engineering and Hardware Prototyping Lead in the HumanX Lab for Cognitive Performance and Longevity. The lab works across biosensing, biological computing systems, wearable platforms, and closed-loop neurotechnology.

This is the lab's central, hands-on electrical engineering role. The successful candidate will turn research requirements into reliable mixed-signal instruments and will own the complete hardware cycle: architecture, schematic design, PCB layout, assembly, bring-up, bench characterization, iteration, and documentation. The role is designed for an engineer or research scientist who enjoys building, debugging, and delivering working systems in a fast-moving, multidisciplinary environment.

The position is full-time, permanent, and onsite in Hanover, New Hampshire or Boston, Massachusetts. It is hosted by the Department of Computer Science at Dartmouth College, with a start date as soon as possible.

Representative Systems
• Benchtop neural recording instruments that maintain living neural tissue on a multi-electrode array while combining precise thermal and fluidic control with low-noise, microvolt-scale recording.
• Miniaturized, low-power analog front ends and power-management electronics on small rigid-flex boards for head-worn physiological and neural sensing.
• A neuromodulation band combining clinical-grade biopotential acquisition, dry-electrode interfaces, safe noninvasive stimulation drive, and all-day battery operation.
• Test fixtures, sensor breakouts, drivers, and repaired or upgraded electronics that keep day-to-day laboratory work moving.

Key Responsibilities
• Design and validate low-noise analog front ends for biopotential acquisition, including instrumentation amplification, filtering, reference and offset handling, ADC selection, grounding, shielding, and end-to-end noise budgeting.
• Architect multi-rail power systems, select ultra-low-noise analog supplies and regulators, define power sequencing, and perform power-integrity analysis.
• Create schematics and PCB layouts in KiCad, Altium, or Eagle, applying strong grounding, decoupling, guarding, signal-integrity, and EMI-aware design practices.
• Own rapid prototyping and hardware bring-up. Assemble, power, debug, rework, and characterize boards and subcircuits using an oscilloscope, DMM, logic analyzer, and spectrum-analysis tools.
• Develop embedded firmware in C or C++ for ARM microcontrollers, including sensor drivers, SPI and I2C interfaces, DMA-based acquisition, high-throughput streaming, control loops, and logging.
• Design and tune precision thermal, fluidic, motion, or actuator-control subsystems for integrated experimental platforms.
• Write and execute acceptance, calibration, and characterization tests with quantitative pass criteria; maintain test fixtures, verification reports, and traceable logs.
• Work with students, research scientists, and collaborators to keep builds, integrations, and experiments on schedule; maintain design files, version control, bills of materials, and technical documentation.
• Contribute hardware and firmware content to grant methods and aims, invention disclosures, and technology-transfer packages.

Required Qualifications
• Master's degree or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Bioengineering, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to design low-noise analog and mixed-signal signal chains, including instrumentation amplifiers, filtering, ADC selection, grounding, and shielding.
• Proven PCB design and bring-up experience, from schematic and layout through a working, measured board.
• Experience designing power-management systems with linear and switching regulators and multiple supply rails.
• Strong bench-debugging, soldering, rework, and rapid-prototyping skills with standard laboratory instruments.
• Proficiency in embedded C or C++ on ARM microcontrollers, including SPI, I2C, and DMA-based data acquisition.
• Evidence of delivered hardware that can be explained in detail, such as a portfolio, repositories, design files, publications, or shipped systems.

Preferred Qualifications
• Hands-on industry, startup, product-development, or similarly execution-focused research experience taking hardware from requirements through tested prototypes.
• Experience with biopotential or neural-recording front ends, including EEG, EMG, ECG, MEA, or dedicated bioamplifier devices.
• Flex or rigid-flex PCB design and packaging for wearable or human-worn devices, including electrode and skin interfaces.
• SPICE-level circuit simulation for noise and frequency response, plus Python or MATLAB for analysis and engineering tools.
• Precision temperature or motion control, closed-loop system design, design for manufacture, reliability testing, risk practices, or design controls for digital health hardware.

Position Details
• Appointment: Research Scientist or Senior Engineer; full-time, permanent.
• Location: Hanover, New Hampshire or Boston, Massachusetts. This is an onsite, non-remote position.
• Start date: as soon as possible.
• Salary is commensurate with experience, with a full Dartmouth benefits package.
• Lab information:

Application Instructions
Email application materials to View email address on nature.com with the subject line: EE & Prototyping Lead Application: [Your Name]
• A cover letter explaining your hardware and prototyping experience and your interest in the lab.
• A CV or resume with links to hardware portfolios, repositories, or representative design files.
• Contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notice.

Review begins immediately and continues until the position is filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Dartmouth College is an equal opportunity employer under federal law. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications are welcome from all.

Dartmouth is committed to accessibility for its community. If you are an applicant with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation to aid in the job application and/or interview process, please email View email address on nature.com with the subject line "application accommodations" and include the job number or title.