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Allen Institute · 12 hours ago

System Design Engineer, Principal

Seattle, WA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$168K/yr - $210K/yr

7+ years exp

The Allen Institute is dedicated to understanding the principles that govern life and advancing health. They are seeking a Principal System Design Engineer to lead the design and integration of advanced scientific instruments, ensuring high standards of excellence in neuroscience research.

Neuroscience

No H1B

Responsibilities

Spearhead the architecture, design, and integration of complex scientific instruments that combine robotics, imaging, automation, and control systems

Serve as a pillar of technical leadership for SIPE initiatives, providing guidance to senior and mid-level engineers and overseeing collaborative development efforts that span both hardware and software domains

Manage projects from concept through production, including feasibility studies, prototyping, and final rollout, while formulating comprehensive project plans to ensure timely delivery

Collaborate with scientific stakeholders to capture system requirements, translate them into actionable team tasks, and remain engaged throughout prototyping and development

Set and refine standards for engineering processes, including documentation, validation, source code management, issue tracking, deployment procedures, and observability

Design, develop, evaluate, and implement equipment for control operations, data acquisition, and analysis workflows, ensuring reliable collection of large-scale datasets

Leverage broad technical expertise and creativity to resolve complex challenges

Champion organizational strategies that enhance innovation, open science, and operational efficiency

Qualification

Systems EngineeringSystems IntegrationOptical EngineeringElectronics DesignSoftware DevelopmentImaging SystemsRobotics DevelopmentFluidics ApplicationAIMachine LearningProject ManagementTechnical LeadershipCollaboration

Required

Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, optical, or systems engineering, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience

7 years of progressive experience in system design engineering, including leadership of complex instrumentation projects

Demonstrated success in delivering production-ready systems for scientific or medical instrumentation

Preferred

Master's degree or PhD in mechanical, electrical, optical, or systems engineering

15+ years of combined education and experience in multidisciplinary system design

Multidisciplinary expertise: Demonstrated leadership-level or hands-on expertise in three or more of the following technical domains:

Systems Integration: Proven ability to design and integrate complex systems across mechanical, electrical, optical, and software domains

Optical Engineering: Deep knowledge of microscopy techniques (confocal, multiphoton, fluorescence) and application of lenses, mirrors, filters, and opto-mechanical components

Electronics: Design of AC/DC circuits, electrical schematics, and PCB layouts for microcontrollers and embedded systems

Software: Knowledge and familiarity of programming languages such as C/C++, C#, Matlab or Python, the software development lifecycle, and common software development tools, e.g. IDE's, Git, CI/CD

Imaging & Data Acquisition: Integration of imaging systems and analog/digital data acquisition tools into automated workflows

Robotics & Automation: Development of robotic systems for surgical, tissue handling, and precision automation applications

Fluidics: Application of fluidics concepts for gases and Newtonian fluids, including regulators, valves, flow control, gauges, and fittings

AI and Machine Learning: Hands-on experience applying artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms for image analysis, anomaly detection, and predictive maintenance within automated instrumentation and high-throughput workflows

Benefits

Employees (and their families) are eligible to enroll in benefits per eligibility rules outlined in the Allen Institute’s Benefits Guide. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance.

Employees are also eligible to enroll in the Allen Institute’s 401k plan.

Paid time off is also available as outlined in the Allen Institutes Benefits Guide.