Field Engineering Lead — Wearable Research and Human Data Collection

The role

Take research sensors out of a carefully controlled laboratory and make them reliable across repeated recordings and different settings. You will be responsible for calibration, device readiness, failure diagnosis, and knowing when a recording cannot be trusted.

The work

• Deploy, configure and maintain multimodal sensing equipment across approved research studies.
• Standardize installation, calibration, participant onboarding and technical operating procedures.
• Diagnose sensor problems, recording interruptions, synchronization failures and hardware defects.
• Establish device tracking, maintenance, inventory and return procedures.
• Train research assistants and field operators on equipment use and data-quality requirements.
• Coordinate with engineers to improve robustness, ergonomics and ease of operation.
• Develop operational dashboards for data completeness, device uptime and collection quality.
• Support scaling from a small experimental pilot to larger studies while maintaining scientific consistency.

What matters

• Background in electronics, instrumentation, embedded systems, biomedical engineering or technical field operations.
• Strong hands-on troubleshooting and organizational ability.
• Experience with sensors, hardware deployment, technical testing or research study operations.
• Ability to communicate clearly with both technical teams and study participants.
• Comfort working in dynamic environments with changing engineering requirements.

What good work looks like

A repeatable field deployment process that maintains signal quality outside the bench laboratory.

Why this work matters

Make carefully designed instruments reliable beyond the controlled bench.

Get in touch

Send us your CV, your personal website or examples of work you have done, particularly a technical system you deployed and kept reliable in practice. Include an informal handwritten statement of purpose, with no prescribed length, telling us why this mission matters to you, what difficult work has taught you, and what you would like to take responsibility for at Walnut. This mission will demand scientific rigor, patience, independent thinking and a willingness to test ideas against reality. Write the statement entirely in your own words, without using generative AI. We will not consider statements written using AI. A photograph or scan of the statement is sufficient, and a typed version is welcome if handwriting is difficult. A reference from someone who knows your work is welcome, but not required.