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Astera

Probe Engineer

Emeryville HQ$200k–$350kfulltimemidAdded today

About this role

Astera Neuro seeks Probe Engineers to design and build next-generation neural recording hardware, including flexible electrode arrays, insertion mechanisms, and robotic placement systems. You'll work across mechanical design, microfabrication, and control systems to create tools that enable large-scale brain activity recording with minimal tissue disruption.

What you'll do

  • Design and fabricate flexible, high-density neural probes using thin-film polymers and microelectrode patterning
  • Develop probe-to-chip integration and low-noise signal readout chains for amplification and digitization
  • Engineer micro-machined insertion needles and mechanisms with micron-scale placement accuracy
  • Build precision multi-axis insertion robots with servo/linear-motor drives and real-time control
  • Create machine-vision systems for target location and vasculature avoidance during insertion
  • Establish electrode characterization pipelines and manufacturability testing for yield and reliability

What they're looking for

  • Mechanical design and CAD
  • Precision electromechanical and robotic systems
  • Microfabrication and thin-film processes (photolithography, deposition, etching)
  • Real-time control software (Python, C/C++, embedded systems, FPGA, RTOS)
  • Signal acquisition and analog electronics
  • Cleanroom and benchtop prototyping
  • Tissue mechanics and biomedical engineering
  • Computer vision and machine-vision systems
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Astera

Astera builds advanced infrastructure for large-scale distributed simulations, neuroscience research tools, and knowledge-sharing platforms aimed at accelerating scientific discovery. The company is hiring software engineers, ML researchers, and scientist-engineers to develop high-performance systems, specialized neuroscience instrumentation, and data-efficient machine learning approaches.

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Likely interview questions

  • Walk us through a precision electromechanical system you've built from concept to validation—what were the key design tradeoffs and how did you manage tolerances?
  • Describe your hands-on experience with microfabrication processes. Which have you used directly and which would you need to learn?
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