Job Description

Position Details

School of Chemical Engineering

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to June 2028

Closing date: 21st June 2026

Background

The Healthcare Technologies Institute at the University of Birmingham is seeking to appoint a Research Fellow in Medical Device Software Engineering to support the development of an affordable user centred EEG headset for community-based diagnosis and management of suspected seizures.

This role forms part of a large multidisciplinary research programme focused on the development of affordable community-based EEG technologies for neurological diagnosis and monitoring. The project involves collaboration between the University of Birmingham, the University of Plymouth, the University of Lancashire, NHS partners, industry collaborators, and patient and public contributors. The programme combines expertise in engineering, neuroscience, mathematics, medicine, digital biomarkers, and user centred healthcare innovation to develop wearable EEG systems suitable for use in home and primary care settings.

The successful candidate will contribute to development of embedded firmware, software interfaces, APIs, mobile applications, and secure cloud connectivity for a next generation wearable EEG platform. The project will involve close collaboration with engineers, clinicians, mathematicians, researchers, and people with lived experience to develop robust and accessible digital health technologies.

The post holder will undertake software development and system integration activities for wearable EEG technologies and associated digital health infrastructure. The role will focus on embedded firmware, Bluetooth communication, mobile application development, secure data transfer, and integration with cloud-based systems for physiological data collection and analysis.

The Research Fellow will contribute to development processes aligned with medical device quality and regulatory requirements and will support documentation activities associated with future UKCA approval pathways.

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop embedded firmware for wearable EEG hardware systems and associated data acquisition units.
• Develop software interfaces and communication protocols for wireless EEG data transmission using Bluetooth Low Energy and related technologies.
• Design and implement APIs and backend interfaces for secure data collection and transfer.
• Contribute to the development of mobile applications for EEG device configuration, operation, and user interaction.
• Support integration of embedded systems, mobile applications, and cloud infrastructure.
• Develop software tools for device testing, validation, and performance evaluation.
• Contribute to cybersecurity, secure data handling, and system reliability considerations for connected medical technologies.
• Work closely with hardware engineers to support system integration and optimisation.
• Support development of software documentation, verification records, and technical documentation aligned with medical device development processes.
• Contribute to usability testing and iterative development informed by stakeholder and patient feedback.
• Analyse and interpret technical and experimental data related to system performance and data quality.
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research outputs through technical reports, conference presentations, and academic publications.
• Contribute to research grant applications and future translational activities.
• Support supervision of students and provide guidance to junior researchers where appropriate.
• Undertake research related management and administration activities.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion and contribute to an inclusive working environment.

Person Specification

Essential

• First degree in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• A higher degree relevant to the research area, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience in embedded software or firmware development.
• Experience in software development using languages such as C, C++, Python, Kotlin, Swift, or similar.
• Experience with wireless communication protocols including Bluetooth Low Energy.
• Ability to develop and debug integrated hardware and software systems.
• Ability to analyse and interpret technical data.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly to multidisciplinary audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively within interdisciplinary research teams.
• Strong organisational and problem-solving skills.

Desirable

• Experience in development of medical device software or connected healthcare technologies.
• Experience with physiological sensing systems or wearable technologies.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure, APIs, and secure healthcare data systems.
• Knowledge of software lifecycle processes for regulated medical devices.
• Familiarity with standards and regulatory frameworks such as IEC 62304, ISO 13485, ISO 14971, GDPR, or UKCA requirements.

Informal enquiries to Atif Shahzad, email: a.shahzad@bham.ac.uk

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website