Research Engineer

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:

The Research Engineer will work directly with the Research Director, Investigators and Research Fellows and be a central and/or lead team member of projects as part of the MGH Clinical Research Center for the Improved Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Vocal Hyperfunction. In addition to providing critical engineering planning and analyses, they will be responsible for supporting experiments and studies. Specific duties include: 1) designing, building and testing experimental devices, 2) designing and validating experimental protocols and data acquisition setups, 3) running experimental protocols, 4) analyzing data, 5) preparing reports, project documentation, publications and making presentations, 6) identification of equipment and supply needs and overseeing timely ordering, and 7) ensuring adherence to all research regulatory and safety requirements including applying for and maintaining approvals for studies involving humans.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Obtain and maintain scientific and technical knowledge needed to support overall research and individual studies. Utilize this knowledge in the development of tools, fixtures, devices, processes, protocols and in meeting other engineering objectives.
• Identify project specifications in conjunction with Research Staff, establishing goals, timelines, operational requirements, protocols, analysis approaches, materials, benchmarks and other project needs.
• Design, build and test experimental devices for use in research projects.
• Work proactively to resolve any malfunctions and upgrades. Work cooperatively with hospital staff, vendors and leadership to identify and resolve deficiencies, locate or build alternatives and otherwise support the research in a timely and effective manner.
• Design and validate data acquisition setups and protocols for use in investigations involving bench-top testing and human subjects.
• Carryout experiments/studies involving bench-top testing and human subjects.
• Develop and utilize approaches for analyzing data gathered during experiments/studies.
• Take the lead in the interpretation of results from experiments, including the preparation of reports, documentation, publications, and presentations.
• Identify laboratory equipment and supply needs and oversee the timely and cost-effective ordering of these items.
• Obtain and maintain knowledge needed to ensure adherence with all research regulatory and safety requirements including: 1) applying for and maintaining approvals for studies involving human and animals, 2) identifying and following all regulatory codes and operational directions governing the operation and maintenance of electrical, electronic and other equipment used during the work conducted on all projects, 3) working safely with all equipment, using personal protective equipment properly; also works safely within research laboratory conditions, and 4) ensuring that all research assistants under his/her supervision follow all regulatory and safety requirements.

Current projects include:

• Developing accelerometer-based ambulatory monitoring of vocal function into a valid, reliable, and cost-effective clinical tool that can be used to accurately identify and differentiate patterns of voice use that are associated with hyper-functional voice disorders
• Developing improved high-speed video-based methods for the visualization and automatic measurement of vocal fold vibratory characteristics that will facilitate the clinical and research use of this technology, and to begin establishing the clinical validity, practicality, and relevance of HSV in the functional evaluation of vocal fold pathology.
• Developing improved acoustic voice and speech analysis toolboxes for the clinical analysis of patients with Parkinson disease.

SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

• Advanced (graduate-level) knowledge of speech and hearing sciences, including and in-depth understanding of the physiological, aerodynamic, and acoustic mechanisms associated with voice production.
• Advanced skills in electrical engineering and computer science including the design and testing of analog and digital circuits, and computer programming skills (MATLAB, Python, and R). Mobile application and cloud server management experience a plus.
• Superior skills and experience in digital processing of signals and images.
• Basic computer skills, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Good analytical, organizational and communications skills to clearly summarize data to communicate methods used, results, and conclusions for discussion in lab meetings and other forums.
• Ability to manage project schedules for the delivery of program objectives.
• Ability to execute all work independently, including research related, in a highly multidisciplinary team environment.
• Is knowledgeable and compliant in all hospital, State and Federal regulatory requirements, including hospital policy and procedures (where applicable to the performance of the job), Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Biomedical, or other related Engineering discipline required with additional degree or education in Speech and Hearing Science preferred.

EXPERIENCE:

Minimum of 5 years of research and laboratory experience is preferred which could be gained as part of undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate education/training.

• Please submit a copy of your resume and cover letter for consideration.