Hardware Engineer

Acoustic Hardware Engineer

Location: West Cambridge, UK — 5 days/week onsite
Duration : Initial 12-Month Contract
Rate : £400 per day PAYE 

Join our newly opened audio lab — featuring anechoic chambers and one of the world's largest configurable acoustic rooms (reconfigurable from cathedral-like acoustics to a fully dampened space). This role is centred on data: planning and running acoustic measurements, setting up complex data collection rigs (microphones, speakers, wearables), and processing the results. The work leans more toward software engineering than one-off scripting, and you'll often be handed problems the team hasn't solved before, requiring genuine acoustics expertise to work through.

What You'll Do

• Plan, design, and run acoustic measurements and data collection studies, including experiments with human participants and prototype hardware
• Build systems, interfaces, and protocols for acoustic/behavioral data acquisition using Python, MATLAB, and MaxMSP
• Apply strong coding practices to improve data collection tools and infrastructure
• Work with the acoustic properties of our lab spaces to design experiments appropriately
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary researchers to integrate tools into broader platforms
• Write clear technical reports on results and methodology

Top 3 Non-Negotiables

• Master's degree in a relevant technical field + 3+ years' industry experience in audio technology development (or equivalent)
• Proven experience designing and running audio/acoustic experiments in controlled lab settings
• Strong, hands-on experience processing and analyzing audio signals

Also Required

• 3+ years' programming experience in Python, MATLAB, or MaxMSP for audio applications
• Solid working knowledge of acoustics and acoustic instrumentation

Nice to Have

Real-time C/C++ audio coding · psychoacoustics/spatial audio/room acoustics · PyTorch/ML experience · prototype hardware · motion tracking systems · large-scale automated data collection · acoustic lab design · cross-functional research experience · published technical reports