AFE Test & Integration Engineer

About the Company

Synchron’s vision is to build non-surgical brain–computer interfaces at global scale that protect the fundamental human rights of freedom of expression and autonomy. Our first mission is to develop motor decoders that restore the ability of 15 million people with paralysis to interact with the digital world. Our second mission is to develop whole-brain cognitive decoders that enable hundreds of millions of people with cognitive decline to preserve and expand their agency as cognition changes over time. In pursuing these goals, we aim not only to help humans flourish, but also to drive fundamental discoveries in human intelligence. Our team operates at the intersection of healthcare and technology, translating breakthrough research into real-world, safety-critical systems.

About the Role

AFE Test & Integration Engineer

Location:
San Diego, CA (On-site)***Please note must be located within commuting distance of San Diego, CA. ***

Employment Type:
Full-Time

Synchron is developing a high-channel-count neural recording ASIC in partnership with an external IC design house which owns design, simulation, test development, and fabrication. This role owns independent, in-house validation of the fabricated chip's analog front end (AFE): building the bench setup, bringing up first silicon, and characterizing it against spec using our own equipment and protocols — not the partner's self-reported data. It's a strong first industrial role for someone with real analog front-end fundamentals from school or research who wants hands-on bench and systems experience on an implantable neural interface program, mentored day-to-day by our senior ASIC design lead.

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 Engineer, written to the same rigor our design verification work already follows.
• Independent characterization: measure the fabricated ASIC's analog front end against spec — noise floor, CMRR, power consumption, channel-to-channel crosstalk, input-referred noise — per channel and across the array.
• System integration testing: support integration testing of the ASIC into the full signal chain alongside the electrode array and lead.
• Documentation: produce characterization and integration test reports suitable to feed directly into our verification and design history file records.
• Growth: grow into the primary owner of the AFE characterization test suite as the program scales from first silicon through qualification.

Qualifications

• Required QualificationsEducation: BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Bioengineering, or a related field, with academic, thesis, or research experience in analog front-end / biopotential amplifier design — e.g., chopper-stabilized or low-noise instrumentation amplifiers, or ADC architectures such as SAR or delta-sigma converters.
• Experience: No professional experience required — strong fundamentals from coursework, thesis, or internship work are what matter most for this role. We will teach the medical-device and program-specific context.

Required Skills

• Technical Skills:Familiarity with electrode-tissue interface concepts (electrode-electrolyte impedance, EIS, Randles-cell-style modeling) from coursework or lab work.
• Hands-on bench skills: oscilloscopes, source-measure units, signal generators, and basic noise-measurement technique.
• Comfort with Python or MATLAB for data analysis and automating bench measurements.

Pay range and compensation package

• The base salary range for this role is $80,000 – $135,000 depending on experience, skills, and qualifications.
• In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or equity grants, subject to board approval and company policy.

Additional Benefits

• Benefits (for W-2, full-time, exempt employees in the US only) ***Intern positions not eligibleSubsidized medical and dental insurance coverage for you and your dependent(s)
• Life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability
• 401k
• Discretionary unlimited PTO
• Flexible Spending Account for you and your dependent(s), with eligible plan elections
• Commuter benefits for NY employees

Visa Sponsorship

We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position at this time.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Synchron is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants and provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know.

Join Us!

At Synchron, you will be part of a transformative mission, and you will work alongside driven people who believe in the power of collaboration and innovation to make a lasting impact. If you are excited to stretch your skills and contribute to something meaningful,
apply now
and build the future with us.