Principal Embedded Systems Engineer

What is Motif?

Motif is a medical device startup based in Houston, Texas. We are designing and developing minimally invasive electronic solutions for serious mental health conditions. Powered by our patent-pending methods for wireless power and data transmission, our goal is to create the smallest implantable brain stimulator to treat people with mental health disorders.

We are an early-stage startup with funding from venture capital firms, grants, and private angel and founder investments.

Motif’s technology stack consists of a small implant that is wirelessly powered via magnetic fields from an external wearable transmitter, configured and controlled from a programming interface. It delivers novel stimulation therapy to cortical targets and will evolve to record biomarkers of symptoms, disease state, and therapy response.

Where are we going?

We are currently completing the development of our first minimally invasive neural stimulation system and preparing for future versions with additional functionality based on our platform technology.

About the Job

We are seeking candidates with experience in designing safety-critical and communication systems, particularly those utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), for medical device applications. In this role, you will collaborate closely with the electrical design team to ensure that hardware capabilities align with system-level requirements. You will also partner with the wireless power transfer and communications teams to support seamless integration with these advanced technologies.

As a key member of our ARIA grant team, you will contribute to the design of cutting-edge neural interfacing ASICs and the firmware that operates them. Additionally, you will work in close coordination with the Product Manager to translate user needs into robust system requirements, ensuring these are fully implemented in the final product.

Job Location: London, United Kingdom

Does this sound like you?

• Do you want to create a future where technology enables better mental health care?
• Do you enjoy learning about and driving novel technology?
• Do you strive to see every bit in its proper place and not a superfluous microamp consumed?
• Do you like testing hypotheses, solving problems, and moving quickly?
• Do you believe that openness and honesty are key to team success? 

If yes to the above, then you may love working with Motif as it is being built by highly dedicated people with passion for neurotechnology, clinical product development, and putting the patient first. We are looking for people with the same energy who will thrive in a high growth - high autonomy environment.

In this role, you will:

• Understand use conditions and user needs of a novel neuromodulation therapy for mental health 
• Drive design and implementation of low power firmware for both the implant and external transmitter which will control therapy delivery, record neural signals, manage wireless power transfer, and provide robust communication between the systems
• Partner closely with the hardware team to implement embedded systems capable of meeting system requirements
• Collaborate with our Project Manager and be an active member of our ARIA grant team
• Support the development of systems both for early phase clinical studies in humans and preclinical research systems to advance the technology platform
• Work with the quality team on risk management and mitigation of these medical software systems
• Contribute firmware deliverables to design controls under our Quality Management System (QMS) to support an efficient, robust, and compliant firmware development process

To be considered, you will need:

• Minimum of Bachelor's Degree in Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, or a similar technical degree and at least 8 years of experience in specialty area
• Experience delivering high quality firmware in a regulated environment and delivering and documenting robust and safe-by-design systems
• Experience developing firmware for embedded microcontrollers such as ARM Cortex-M (e.g., STM32, Nordic, NXP, etc.)
• Proficiency with embedded firmware development tools such as STM32CubeIDE, IAR, Keil, Segger J-Link, or similar
• Comfortable reading electrical schematics and collaborating with hardware teams using tools like Altium 365
• Experience with bench equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers) for board bring up and debug
• To reside in London, England, UK with the ability to travel to the Houston, Texas, USA area up to 6 times a year

It is a bonus if you have:

• Experience in control of stimulation therapies, signal processing of physiological signals, or development of wireless communication systems
• Experience with cybersecurity and cryptographically protected communication channels
• Knowledge about implementation of BLE systems for secure and robust communications
• Experience developing embedded systems for early-stage medical devices under IEC 60601, 62304, and ISO 13485

Notice

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Motif Neurotech will process your personal data for recruitment purposes. This includes evaluating your qualifications, contacting you regarding the position, and managing the hiring process. We process your data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), based on our legitimate interest in filling this role.

Benefits*

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents
• Participation in our 401k plan
• Unlimited PTO
• The chance to work with an incredible group of people working towards a common goal for a better future