Neuroscience PhD / Computational Neuroscience ML Engineer

📋 Job Overview

A Y Combinator–backed wearable technology startup is hiring a Computational Neuroscience PhD to own the core inference model that quantifies real-time emotional states from wearable sensor data. This is a founding technical role — you'll sit at the intersection of neuroscience research and production machine learning, and you're expected to grow into a leadership position as the company scales.

🏢 About [Company]

The company is building a wearable device that infers and interprets a user's emotional state in real time using a proprietary AI model processing both audio and biometric signals. The mission is to make emotional intelligence trainable and help people reliably reach peak mental performance states.

🎯 The Role

You will develop and iterate on the inference model that quantifies emotional states from multimodal wearable sensor data. You'll bridge neuroscience research and production machine learning — operating as both researcher and ML engineer. You'll translate theoretical frameworks (e.g. active inference, cognitive science) into deployable, scalable systems and collaborate closely with the founding team to shape the technical direction of the core AI product.

✅ Key Responsibilities

• Develop and iterate on the inference model that quantifies emotional states from multimodal wearable sensor data
• Bridge neuroscience research and production machine learning — operate as both researcher and ML engineer
• Translate theoretical frameworks (e.g. active inference, cognitive science) into deployable, scalable systems
• Collaborate closely with the founding team to shape the technical direction of the core AI product

📌 Required Qualifications

• PhD in computational neuroscience, cognitive science, active inference, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience bridging neuroscience research and production machine learning systems
• Strong Python proficiency for ML model development and deployment
• Comfort working in a fast-moving early-stage environment
• US work authorization required (visa transfers considered; no new visa sponsorship)

⭐ Desirable Experience

• Background in active inference or Bayesian brain / predictive coding frameworks
• Experience with multimodal biosignal processing (audio, biometric, physiological data)
• Prior founding or early-stage startup experience

🎁 Benefits

Base salary: ~$150,000 USD (US) / ~£75,000 GBP (London)
Equity: Meaningful founding-level equity (up to 1–2%)
Founding team role with significant ownership and growth opportunity

🛂 Visa & Eligibility

US work authorization required (visa transfers considered; no new visa sponsorship)