Postdoctoral Researcher: Next-Generation Wearable & Sensing Systems

Description

The Cluster for Improving Healthcare Outcomes through Sensory Technology at Dartmouth College invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in next-generation sensor systems for healthcare and longevity.

The program bridges sensing/material innovation, circuits and low-power systems, and brain-inspired computing to transform wearable health platforms from lab prototypes into real-world impact. We seek a hands-on systems researcher with expertise across wearable sensing, embedded/firmware, and ML for time-series biosignals. The postdoc will design, integrate, and validate sensing hardware, firmware, and AI pipelines; lead human-subject evaluations; and help translate research into systems deployable in real-world settings.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, fabricate, and validate wearable or implantable biosignal sensors and analog front-ends with low-noise amplification, filtering, and synchronized acquisition.
• Perform PCB design, rapid hardware iteration, and reliability testing for field deployment.
• Develop embedded firmware for sensor drivers, timestamping/sync, BLE streaming, and OTA updates across hardware revisions.
• Execute benchtop calibration/characterization, maintain test fixtures, and generate verification reports and traceable logs.
• Build data-acquisition pipelines and lightweight dashboards for engineering and study teams.
• Implement signal-processing and lightweight on-device detection (artifact handling, feature extraction, rule-based/event-driven primitives) to support real-time sensing and closed-loop control.
• Design, integrate, and validate closed-loop feedback systems (vibration, light, audio, and electrical modalities) for targeted therapeutic interventions.
• Prepare publications, figures, datasets, and technical reports; contribute to grant methods/aims and tech-transfer packages (prototype docs, invention disclosures.)
• Coordinate day-to-day with students and collaborators to keep builds, tests, and deployments on schedule; maintain SOPs, versioning (hardware/firmware/models), and CI/CD.

This position is full-time, non-remote, and in-residence at Dartmouth in Hanover, NH, with a start date as early as Spring 2026. Initial appointment is for one year, with the possibility of renewal. Postdoctoral researchers are advised and hosted in the Department of Computer Science. They are also supported by the Guarini School for Graduate and Advanced Studies, including their community initiatives. 

Dartmouth is committed to academic excellence and encourages the open exchange of ideas within a culture of mutual respect. Dartmouth welcomes people with different backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives and believes that diversity in all its forms enhances academic excellence. Applicants should address in their cover letter how their research, teaching, service, and/or life experiences prepare them to serve Dartmouth’s commitment to academic excellence in an environment that is welcoming to all.

Qualifications

Required:

• Ph.D. in Electrical/Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Bioengineering, or a closely related field, or ABD with degree received by the start date.
• Hands-on expertise in biosignal acquisition and analog front-end design (low-noise amps, filtering, ADC selection, grounding/shielding).
• Proven PCB design & bring-up (Altium/KiCad), power management, and bench debugging (oscilloscope, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer).
• Proficiency in embedded firmware and OTA/fleet update workflows.
• Demonstrated experience with Organoid/MEA interfacing or BCI pipelines including real-time timing and synchronization
• Track record of first-author publications or documented delivery of research-grade hardware/firmware in wearables, neural interfaces, sensing systems, and stimulation systems.

Preferred:

• Packaging for human use: flex/rigid-flex PCBs, skin/electrode interfaces, environmental sealing (IP ratings), and comfort/adhesion considerations.
• Exposure to quality & risk practices (DFMEA/HFMEA), basic regulatory/design controls for digital health, and data governance for human/biological data.

Application Instructions

Please submit all materials electronically through Interfolio: 

1. Cover Letter (max 3 pages) describing your research interest and experience in hardware development, wearable or implantable sensing focus and alignment with the Cluster’s program. This should also include research and teaching interests as well as preparation to serve Dartmouth’s commitment to academic excellence in an environment that is welcoming to all;
2. Curriculum vitae, including names and contact information for three references;
3. Two (2) representative publications;
4. Maximum 3 links to representative hardware products that you built.

Review of applications will begin Jan 10, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. Recommendation letters will be requested only for finalists. For questions about the position, please contact Dr. Tam Vu at tam.n.vu@dartmouth.edu

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: ADA@Dartmouth.edu. In the subject line, please state application accommodations and include the job number or title.  Someone from the ADA/504 Office will be in touch within 2 business days.

For additional employment opportunities at Dartmouth College, please visit the Dartmouth Interfolio Job Board, the Office of the Provost, and the Office of Human Resources.

Offers of employment are contingent upon consent to a pre-employment background check with results acceptable under Dartmouth policy. Please visit the Dartmouth policy portal for faculty handbooks and details of other Dartmouth policies.