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About the Role

This is a hands-on research position for someone motivated by both engineering and biology. The Research Technician will help run experiments, care for and handle birds, build and maintain experimental systems, collect and organize behavioral and neural data, and contribute to analysis workflows. The role is well suited for an applicant who enjoys troubleshooting real systems and wants direct exposure to modern systems neuroscience rather than a narrowly defined coding or bench-only position. The technician will work across multiple projects, with early responsibilities focusing on birdsong and sleep experiments, including behavioral recording, audio/video acquisition, electrophysiology support, and development of analysis pipelines. Over time, the role may also include support for human EEG studies of natural speech. The position requires reliability, careful documentation, respect for animal welfare and research compliance, and the ability to learn new tools quickly.

Responsibilities

Assist with zebra finch behavioral experiments, including animal handling, daily monitoring, husbandry support, and coordination with approved animal-care protocols.
Operate and maintain experimental systems for audio, video, neural recording, stimulation, and behavioral monitoring during singing, social interaction, and sleep.
Build, modify, and troubleshoot laboratory instruments using 3D printing, CNC machining, electronic prototyping, microcontrollers, sensors, cameras, microphones, and custom software.
Collect, verify, organize, and document behavioral, audio, video, electrophysiology, imaging, and experimental metadata with attention to reproducibility and data integrity.
Use software tools such as Python, MATLAB, ImageJ/FIJI, Arduino or related microcontroller environments, and AI-assisted coding workflows to process data and improve lab pipelines.
Help develop and test analyses for birdsong, motif structure, sleep-state decoding, closed-loop experiments, and eventually human EEG/natural speech datasets.
Prepare figures, summaries, quality-control reports, and basic analyses for lab meetings, manuscripts, grant materials, and project planning.
Maintain inventories, organize shared lab spaces, track equipment status, support routine maintenance, and help ensure safe and compliant laboratory operations.
Participate in laboratory meetings, planning sessions, and literature discussions relevant to the lab’s research areas.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience, biology, engineering, computer science, physics, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and related work experience.
Strong interest in both engineering and biology, with motivation to work directly with animals and experimental hardware as well as code and data.
Some laboratory, animal-care, engineering, computational, electronics, maker-space, or research experience preferred.
Basic programming or data-analysis experience, ideally in Python, MATLAB, R, Arduino, or related tools.
Prior experience with AI-assisted coding is helpful but not required.
Comfort learning unfamiliar systems, troubleshooting equipment, reading documentation, and solving practical problems with careful supervision and good judgment.
Ability to keep accurate records, follow protocols, document decisions, and communicate progress and problems clearly.
Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a diverse population of trainees, staff, and collaborators.
A serious interest in scientific discovery and a willingness to engage deeply with the technical and biological questions behind the work.
Reliability, attention to detail, curiosity, and the ability to balance independent initiative with careful adherence to approved protocols and supervisor direction.
Physical Requirements: Remaining in a normal seated or standing position for extended periods of time; reaching and grasping by extending hand(s) or arm(s); dexterity to manipulate objects with fingers, for example using a keyboard; communication skills using the spoken word; ability to see and hear within normal parameters; ability to move about workspace.
Mobility, including the ability to move materials weighing up to several pounds (such as a laptop computer or tablet).
Work may involve possible exposure to malodorous vapors, low dose radiation, contamination by toxic chemicals and acids and presence of carcinogenic substances or other hazardous materials.
Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essential duties of this position with reasonable accommodation.

Skills

3D printing
CNC machining
Electronic prototyping
Microcontrollers
Sensors
Cameras
Microphones
Custom software
Python
MATLAB
ImageJ/FIJI
Arduino
AI-assisted coding

Location

San Francisco, CA

Work Type

Onsite

Experience Level

Entry Level

Education Level

Bachelor of Science

Salary/Compensations

$20.08 (minimum) - $32.65 (maximum) per hour

Benefits

Exceptional health benefits
Retirement plans
Time off
Range of recognition and wellness programs

About the Company

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is an independent, ever-evolving philanthropy that supports basic biomedical scientists and educators with the potential for transformative impact.
We make long-term investments in people, not just projects, because we believe in the power of individuals to make breakthroughs over time.
To move science forward we need a diverse collection of talents, expertise, and backgrounds in scientific research and science education, as well as communications, finance, human resources, information technology, investments, law, and operations.
At HHMI, we encourage collaborative and results-driven working styles and offer an adaptable environment where employees can do their best work.
What makes us strong is the diversity of our perspectives.
We work to promote a culture of inclusion in our work environments and across the greater scientific community.
The Gonzalez Lab at UCSF is seeking a Research Technician to join a multidisciplinary neuroscience team studying how the brain controls communication, social behavior, and sleep.
The lab combines animal behavior, high-density electrophysiology, optical imaging, closed-loop stimulation, machine learning, and custom instrument development to understand neural circuit dynamics in birds and humans.
Current and upcoming projects include studies of birdsong fillers and vocal repair, neural decoding during sleep, and later-stage work in human EEG and natural speech.
The broader goal is to understand how brains generate speech-like sequences, how these sequences are altered during social interaction, and how the sleeping brain reactivates or transforms behaviorally meaningful experiences.

Equal Opportunity

HHMI is an Equal Opportunity Employer
We work to promote a culture of inclusion in our work environments and across the greater scientific community.
Applicants have rights under federal employment laws. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please review these posters: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Know Your Rights, and Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA).