Development Test Engineer

About the role

This role builds evaluation methods that determine how safely and reliably a brain interface system behaves. Methods guide design decisions so device and tests improve together before clinical use.

Software engineers turn product ideas into working code. Engineers work in small teams, review each other's work, and ship in small batches. Most teams follow agile practices such as sprints and daily standups. Engineers also write tests, fix bugs, and improve performance. The field values clear communication as much as technical skill. Engineers spend part of every week on planning, code review, and debugging, not just writing new code. The ability to explain a technical decision in plain words separates strong engineers from the rest.

Key facts

What you'll do

Early high-signal experiments translate risk to inform device behavior before clinical use. Clear communication of experimental findings guides adjustments in device and system design.

Requirements

The posting states a minimum of 4 years of experience.

Building and running tests that combine hardware-in-the-loop or instrumentation-heavy methods with acoustic, mechanical, electrical, or mixed-domain signals is required. A systems-level view of the entire device is maintained instead of focusing only on isolated components. Constructing custom test setups from scratch happens when no standard test exists. Professional integrity and strong judgment guide decisions even when tradeoffs between speed and rigor appear. Autonomous work alongside close coordination with interdisciplinary engineering teams is required.

Practical notes

This role reports to interdisciplinary engineering teams and operates within a hardware and software development flow. Typical interview steps

Hiring for engineering roles usually starts with a recruiter screen, followed by one or two technical rounds. Candidates often solve a coding problem, discuss past projects, and answer system design questions. Some loops include a take-home task. Final rounds typically cover team fit and give candidates a chance to ask questions. Interviewers look for how you break down an unfamiliar problem, not just whether you reach the answer. Practicing a few problems aloud and reviewing your own past projects are the best preparation.

Good to know

Brain interface development combines hardware, software, and experimental validation to improve human outcomes. Test rigs for acoustic, mechanical, and electrical systems are common tools in this kind of role. High-integrity decision making matters when experiments influence medical technology. Cross-functional collaboration with mechanical, electrical, and software engineers is typical.

Questions to ask

Useful questions for the interview: what a typical week looks like, how work is assigned, what tools the team uses, and how feedback works. Asking how the role has changed recently and what the team wishes it had known when joining is also reasonable. Questions about the manager's priorities are especially valued.

Career growth

Engineering careers usually progress from individual contributor to senior, staff, and principal levels. Some engineers move into management and lead teams of five to twenty people. Others stay on the technical track. Growth follows demonstrated impact, not tenure alone. A typical engineering ladder has clear levels with defined expectations for scope, quality, and mentorship. Moving up usually requires owning outcomes end to end rather than completing assigned tickets.

About the company

At Nudge, our mission is to develop the best technology for interfacing with the brain to improve people's lives. We're starting with an approach that we believe can help the most people the fastest, and also allow us to learn as much about the brain as possible: developing a non-invasive, ultrasound-based device that can stimulate and image the brain at high resolution and depth.