Neuroscientist Jobs
Neuroscientist jobs are open across academia, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, hospitals, and government research institutes, at every level from research associate to principal scientist and director, with specializations in cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, and clinical research. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 6+ Neuroscientist jobs
Company Overview
Astera Neuro is a philanthropically funded research organization within the Astera Institute, working to decipher and ultimately write the neural codes underlying perception, thought, behavior, and internal state. The tools this requires do not yet exist. We are assembling a founding team of experimental neuroscientists, computational scientists, and engineers to build them, from recording and interface hardware to software and computational methods, and to use them to study neural activity at unprecedented scale, with direct promise for treating neurological and psychiatric disease. We pursue high-risk, high-reward science in a collaborative, well-resourced environment and share our tools, data, and discoveries openly under Astera's Open Science Policy.
Position Summary
Experimental Neuroscientists at Astera Neuro develop and lead research programs aimed at understanding how the brain builds a model of the physical world, forms new thoughts, and creates a stable model of the self, and at learning to control each of these functions with precision through write-in experiments. The role requires both the ability to independently drive a research program from start to finish and the ability to collaborate closely with a diverse team of scientists to collect novel datasets that can transform our understanding of the neurobiology of intelligence and consciousness. Experimental work combines large-scale neural recordings, targeted stimulation, and behavioral design, working closely with computational, engineering, and software teams to translate biological insight into a detailed model of the brain that can guide causal perturbation experiments and inform new AI architectures. Successful applicants will focus on one or more of the primary research tracks within Astera Neuro: how the primate brain builds a stable model of the physical world, how it generates a model of its own physical and mental states and plans, and how it combines abstract representations of thoughts into new configurations to support complex, flexible behavior. Background and interest will determine the best fit. All animal research is conducted under IACUC-approved protocols with a deep commitment to animal welfare and AAALAC standards. Title and scope are calibrated to track record.
What You Will Do
- Design behavioral paradigms (perceptual and cognitive tasks) aligned with our scientific goals.
- Design and execute large-scale, multi-area neural recording experiments in awake, behaving subjects performing complex perceptual, working-memory, and higher-cognitive tasks, using high-density Neuropixels probes, chronic polymer probe arrays, two-photon imaging, and holographic optogenetics.
- Design and execute write-in (causal perturbation) experiments targeting visual percepts, thoughts, and internal states using model-guided closed-loop stimulation.
- Build and analyze datasets that stitch across sessions, animals, and paradigms to support stable, brain-wide, single-neuron-resolution representations.
- Collaborate across electrophysiology, holography, computational, and engineering teams to keep recording, perturbation, and modeling tightly coupled.
- Mentor research technicians, and at the senior or principal level, more junior scientists. Contribute to hiring, onboarding, and lab culture.
- Contribute to publications, talks, open data and tooling releases, and engagement with the broader scientific community.
Who You Are
Required:
- Conviction that the brain's internal model can be understood in full, and recognition that getting there requires a kind of science no single academic lab can do. We are betting on scale, on deep collaboration across science and engineering, and on open sharing of ideas and expertise in a full-stack environment.
- Willingness to be held to an engineering standard. Our decisive tests are write-in experiments: constructing a specific percept, thought, or internal state, not merely decoding one. What we cannot build, we do not understand.
- Comfort building on shared infrastructure rather than private projects. Recordings and perturbations will be registered onto a common whole-brain functional and anatomical atlas, and datasets are designed to stitch across sessions, animals, and paradigms. This means designing experiments others can build on, and building on theirs.
- Commitment to open science. We will release tools, data, and methods, and we aim to create a new dynamic of rapid, open exchange in neuroscience.
- Hands-on experience across multiple animal models in systems neurophysiology, including acute and chronic large-scale electrophysiology in awake, behaving subjects.
- Strong quantitative and computational skills, with fluency in Python and/or MATLAB and modern neural data analysis pipelines, including Kilosort, spike sorting, and quality-control workflows.
- Demonstrated track record of leading systems neuroscience experiments end to end, from paradigm design through data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
- Comfort working closely with software engineers, computational neuroscientists, and hardware engineers in a fast-moving, multi-team environment.
Preferred/Nice to Have:
- Hands-on experience performing complex cognitive paradigms, including high-density Neuropixels recordings and chronic polymer probe systems.
- Experience with optogenetic, electrical, or other causal perturbation methods across multiple animal models.
- Experience with closed-loop or real-time experimental control and stimulation.
- Familiarity with neural population dynamics and dynamical-systems modeling.
- Experience contributing to or leading large, multi-team programs (academic centers, institutes, foundations, or industry research labs).
- Track record of mentorship and technical leadership.
Education
PhD in neuroscience, cognitive, behavioral or medical sciences, biology, biomedical engineering, or a related field, or equivalent research experience.
Compensation
The posted salary range is based on location in the Bay Area. The successful candidate will receive a competitive compensation package, including comprehensive benefits, commensurate with their experience.
Why Join Us
You will join the founding scientific team of an institute built to do the kind of neuroscience no single academic lab can, with dedicated engineering, computational, and animal care teams behind every experiment. The datasets you collect will be among the largest and richest ever gathered from the primate brain. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion.
Compensation Range: $120K - $220K
Company Overview
Astera Neuro is a philanthropically funded research organization within the Astera Institute, working to decipher and ultimately write the neural codes underlying perception, thought, behavior, and internal state. The tools this requires do not yet exist. We are assembling a founding team of experimental neuroscientists, computational scientists, and engineers to build them, from recording and interface hardware to software and computational methods, and to use them to study neural activity at unprecedented scale, with direct promise for treating neurological and psychiatric disease. We pursue high-risk, high-reward science in a collaborative, well-resourced environment and share our tools, data, and discoveries openly under Astera's Open Science Policy.
Position Summary
Experimental Neuroscientists at Astera Neuro develop and lead research programs aimed at understanding how the brain builds a model of the physical world, forms new thoughts, and creates a stable model of the self, and at learning to control each of these functions with precision through write-in experiments. The role requires both the ability to independently drive a research program from start to finish and the ability to collaborate closely with a diverse team of scientists to collect novel datasets that can transform our understanding of the neurobiology of intelligence and consciousness. Experimental work combines large-scale neural recordings, targeted stimulation, and behavioral design, working closely with computational, engineering, and software teams to translate biological insight into a detailed model of the brain that can guide causal perturbation experiments and inform new AI architectures. Successful applicants will focus on one or more of the primary research tracks within Astera Neuro: how the primate brain builds a stable model of the physical world, how it generates a model of its own physical and mental states and plans, and how it combines abstract representations of thoughts into new configurations to support complex, flexible behavior. Background and interest will determine the best fit. All animal research is conducted under IACUC-approved protocols with a deep commitment to animal welfare and AAALAC standards. Title and scope are calibrated to track record.
What You Will Do
- Design behavioral paradigms (perceptual and cognitive tasks) aligned with our scientific goals.
- Design and execute large-scale, multi-area neural recording experiments in awake, behaving subjects performing complex perceptual, working-memory, and higher-cognitive tasks, using high-density Neuropixels probes, chronic polymer probe arrays, two-photon imaging, and holographic optogenetics.
- Design and execute write-in (causal perturbation) experiments targeting visual percepts, thoughts, and internal states using model-guided closed-loop stimulation.
- Build and analyze datasets that stitch across sessions, animals, and paradigms to support stable, brain-wide, single-neuron-resolution representations.
- Collaborate across electrophysiology, holography, computational, and engineering teams to keep recording, perturbation, and modeling tightly coupled.
- Mentor research technicians, and at the senior or principal level, more junior scientists. Contribute to hiring, onboarding, and lab culture.
- Contribute to publications, talks, open data and tooling releases, and engagement with the broader scientific community.
Who You Are
Required:
- Conviction that the brain's internal model can be understood in full, and recognition that getting there requires a kind of science no single academic lab can do. We are betting on scale, on deep collaboration across science and engineering, and on open sharing of ideas and expertise in a full-stack environment.
- Willingness to be held to an engineering standard. Our decisive tests are write-in experiments: constructing a specific percept, thought, or internal state, not merely decoding one. What we cannot build, we do not understand.
- Comfort building on shared infrastructure rather than private projects. Recordings and perturbations will be registered onto a common whole-brain functional and anatomical atlas, and datasets are designed to stitch across sessions, animals, and paradigms. This means designing experiments others can build on, and building on theirs.
- Commitment to open science. We will release tools, data, and methods, and we aim to create a new dynamic of rapid, open exchange in neuroscience.
- Hands-on experience across multiple animal models in systems neurophysiology, including acute and chronic large-scale electrophysiology in awake, behaving subjects.
- Strong quantitative and computational skills, with fluency in Python and/or MATLAB and modern neural data analysis pipelines, including Kilosort, spike sorting, and quality-control workflows.
- Demonstrated track record of leading systems neuroscience experiments end to end, from paradigm design through data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
- Comfort working closely with software engineers, computational neuroscientists, and hardware engineers in a fast-moving, multi-team environment.
Preferred/Nice to Have:
- Hands-on experience performing complex cognitive paradigms, including high-density Neuropixels recordings and chronic polymer probe systems.
- Experience with optogenetic, electrical, or other causal perturbation methods across multiple animal models.
- Experience with closed-loop or real-time experimental control and stimulation.
- Familiarity with neural population dynamics and dynamical-systems modeling.
- Experience contributing to or leading large, multi-team programs (academic centers, institutes, foundations, or industry research labs).
- Track record of mentorship and technical leadership.
Education
PhD in neuroscience, cognitive, behavioral or medical sciences, biology, biomedical engineering, or a related field, or equivalent research experience.
Compensation
The posted salary range is based on location in the Bay Area. The successful candidate will receive a competitive compensation package, including comprehensive benefits, commensurate with their experience.
Why Join Us
You will join the founding scientific team of an institute built to do the kind of neuroscience no single academic lab can, with dedicated engineering, computational, and animal care teams behind every experiment. The datasets you collect will be among the largest and richest ever gathered from the primate brain. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion.
Compensation Range: $120K - $220K
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Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Science & Research
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in neuroscientist jobs.
- PhD in neuroscience, biology, psychology, or a closely related field
- Hands-on experience with in vivo or in vitro electrophysiology, imaging, or behavioral assays
- Proficiency in data analysis languages such as Python, MATLAB, or R
- Demonstrated record of peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations
- Experience with rodent or other animal model handling and experimental design
- Familiarity with IRB or IACUC protocols and regulatory compliance procedures
Tips for Your Neuroscientist Job Search
Tailor your CV to publication depth
Neuroscientist hiring panels read publication lists closely. For each role, reorder your CV to lead with the papers and preprints most relevant to that lab or team's focus area, and name the methods you used in each study.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists neuroscientist openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Match your methods to the job description
Hiring managers filter fast on technical fit. If the posting names patch-clamp electrophysiology, optogenetics, or a specific imaging modality like fMRI or two-photon microscopy, those terms must appear in your resume with context, not just as a skills list.
Target postings by funding source
Industry roles at biotech and pharma firms move on different timelines than NIH-funded academic positions. Filter your search by organization type so you're pacing applications correctly and not comparing timelines that don't overlap.
Prepare a research narrative for interviews
Most neuroscientist interviews include a research presentation. Practice explaining your work to both a specialist panel and a mixed audience, because hiring committees often include department heads outside your subfield who evaluate communication as much as science.
Negotiate startup packages at research institutions
Academic and research institute offers often include negotiable components beyond base compensation: startup funds, equipment budgets, lab space, and protected research time. Know which of these matter most to your work before your offer conversation.
Neuroscientist Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How many neuroscientist jobs are remote?
About 0% of neuroscientist openings are fully remote or hybrid as of September 2026, though the share varies significantly by role type. Computational and data-focused positions, such as those in computational modeling or neuroinformatics, are most likely to offer remote or hybrid arrangements, while wet-lab and clinical roles almost always require on-site presence.
How do you become a neuroscientist?
Most neuroscientist roles require a PhD, so the path typically starts with a bachelor's degree in biology, psychology, or a related science, followed by doctoral training in a neuroscience program. After the PhD, many researchers complete one or more postdoctoral fellowships to build an independent publication record and develop specialized technical skills before moving into permanent academic, industry, or government positions.
Can you get hired as a neuroscientist with little experience?
Entry-level neuroscientist roles do exist, though they're most accessible to candidates who built hands-on lab experience during their graduate training. Highlighting specific techniques you've mastered, even from coursework or volunteer lab rotations, matters more than years of employment. Research technician and associate scientist positions are realistic starting points that provide the experience needed to move into independent research roles.
What does the neuroscientist interview process look like?
The neuroscientist interview process typically begins with a phone or video screening with a hiring manager or HR contact, followed by an on-site or virtual visit that includes a research seminar where you present your work to the broader team. Candidates also meet individually with multiple faculty members or department leads, and some industry interviews include a written case study or data analysis exercise. The full process often runs across several weeks.
Where can I find and apply to neuroscientist jobs?
You can find and apply to neuroscientist jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States in one place. Search the roles available, find the ones that match your background and specialization, and apply directly to each listing that fits.
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