Makerspace Engineer - Prototyping and Fabrication

The Mindspan Institute is a new non-profit research institute in Cambridge, MA, aimed at building novel tools to analyze the human brain, and scaling them to study its molecules and wiring. We interpret how they contribute to brain functions and dysfunctions, and share our tools and discoveries as freely as possible, to advance human health.

The role

Build Mindspan's on-site makerspace from an empty room, then run it as the place where ideas become hardware. You will set up and operate CNC mills and lathes, a drill press, 3D printers and a laser cutter. You will also co-design and fabricate the parts and subsystems behind a systematic effort to build neurotechnologies for mapping the brain.

You report to the Head of Automation and Industrialization and work with scientists and engineers across the institute. We want a collaborative space for hacking, tinkering and fast design-build-test cycles, in the spirit of MakerWorks at MIT and the Invention Studio at Georgia Tech.

What you'll do

• Build the shop: specify, buy, install and commission the machines, tooling and safety systems.
• Run the shop: keep machines calibrated and running, manage materials, and train scientists and engineers to make their own parts safely.
• Co-design and fabricate: turn experimental needs into CAD models, drawings and finished parts by machining, printing and cutting.
• Assemble, test and integrate: build subsystems, test them for function, and integrate them into larger systems that measure, handle and image brain tissue.
• Document: keep drawings, setups and process notes others can follow, with the reasoning behind each choice.

Required qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in mechanical engineering or a closely related field, or equivalent experience.
• Hands-on experience with manual and CNC machining, 3D printing and laser cutting, and the CAM and slicing software behind them.
• Proficiency with modern 3D CAD, drawings and tolerancing.
• A record of designing, building and testing real parts and systems, ideally in a makerspace, student shop or prototyping lab.
• Familiarity with the tools and culture of a modern makerspace, including training others and keeping a shared shop safe.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience setting up or managing a shop or makerspace.
• Experience with scientific instrumentation, laboratory automation or precision mechanisms.
• Metrology and inspection skills.
• Experience with lab-compatible materials and parts that must survive water, buffers and cleaning.

Culture we're building

The disorders of the brain affect over 1,000,000,000 people around the world. We operate with a sense of urgency, even as we look to understand the brain at its most fundamental levels. We are hyper collaborative, focused on impact over short-term markers of productivity, and work with “strong opinions, weakly held.”

We invent fast when we have to and use good existing solutions where they exist. We expect people to explore the unknown, which means making mistakes daily, owning them, and learning from them.

What we're looking for

A maker and tinkerer at heart: an engineer who would rather build a prototype this afternoon than debate it for a week. You can look at a whiteboard sketch and see how to make it and explain why a part worked or failed. You make a shop welcoming to scientists who have never run a mill, while holding everyone to high standards of safety and quality. You are organized, communicate clearly, and can juggle many small projects at once.

This is an in-person job. Flexible hours may be required at times.

What we offer

The chance to build a new research institute's makerspace from the ground up, with real autonomy and a hand in nearly every instrument we make. As Mindspan grows, we expect this role to grow with it.

Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and family benefits, and a matching retirement contribution.

Competitive salary ($100,000–$155,000), depending on experience.

Questions can go to [email protected]. Mindspan Institute is a non-profit and an Equal Opportunity Employer.