Lead of Wearable Hardware Engineering

ABOUT RESPIRA LABS
Respira Labs is on a quest to stop the progression of and ultimately prevent respiratory diseases by empowering patients, caregivers/families and clinicians with high quality and actionable health information at home. The company was founded by Dr. Maria Artunduaga, a multi-awarded Harvard/Cal physician-scientist who decided to leave a surgical career and retrain in public health and technology after losing her grandmother to an emphysema (COPD) crisis. Backed by NSF and NIH, she and her team have developed a patented “acoustic resonance” technology that can detect air trapping, an earlier and more sensitive marker of lung dysfunction. This technology has the potential to accurately diagnose and predict deterioration (exacerbations) 4+ days in advance using low-cost, over-the -counter, sensors (10x cheaper). The team is working with leaders in respiratory medicine (CHEST), alumni from MIT & Harvard, with a trajectory on NASA Google, Intel; partnerships with El Camino Hospital/Fogarty Institute of Innovation, ResMed/Propeller and the COPD Foundation to bring the technology to market by 2023. Respira has raised over $2M from NSF and NIH and is preparing to raise $2M - $3M from VCs in anticipation of preclinical trials with long COVID (Q4 2021) and asthma patients (Q2 2022). In short, Respira Labs is positioning itself to become the next Dexcom for respiratory health ($43B market cap, $2B in ARR), but aiming to become a full management platform (think Livongo, IPO ROI >15x in 2019, $18.5B merger in 2020) by 2025.

LEAD OF WEARABLE HARDWARE ENGINEERING
As Lead of Hardware Engineering, you will be working with the core R & D team to lead electronics development for the entire company. This includes developing the next generations of wearables with multiple types of sensor technology, advanced firmware, on-board processing and wireless communication. You will own and optimize the existing electronics hardware and firmware, oversee their improvement to reduce cost, improve performance and develop creative solutions under tight deadlines, form-factor requirements and budget constraints. You will be responsible for initial prototypes and will leverage your deep understanding of both electronics and manufacturing to prepare for larger scale production.

Your role at Respira Labs:

• You will be the owner of Respira Labs' product development strategy, speaking directly with patients, doctors and potential customers and working alongside the CEO and technical/scientific advisors;
• Work alongside CEO and technical/scientific advisors to guide our wearable product strategy and development roadmap for regulatory clearance;
• Manage product design, prototyping, tooling, and testing;
• Source and manage key partners, vendors, and suppliers;
• Developing new reliability test procedures, specifications and documentation for quality assurance;
• See a product through the clinical trials/regulatory approval processes; Implement and enforce current good manufacturing practices (cGMP): 21 CFR 820, ISO 13485, HIPAA compliance.

You'd be a good fit if you have:

• An MS or PhD in EE, ME, product design or another relevant field;
• 5+ years of experience in a hardware role, ideally working on a product in healthcare or the life sciences;
• 2+ years in a leadership or senior position;
• Deep understanding of the industrial development of consumer medical wearables/devices: designing, prototyping, tooling, and testing, from concept to manufacturing/shipping;
• Expertise in low power electronic circuit design, PCB layout, verification, and testing;
• Prior experience with microcontrollers, SoC and DSP circuitry;
• Prior experience with low powered wireless communications;
• Prior experience designing and overseeing clinical trials for medical devices or therapeutics;
• Experience developing medical devices or other healthcare products in a startup environment;

We want you to know:
You could be a great candidate even if you don't fit the description above exactly. You may also possess important skills that we haven't considered. If that's you, don't hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself in your cover letter (What's your superpower?, What were four things about your last gig that energized you?, What were four things about your last gig that drained you?, What types of challenges do you enjoy?, What is your ideal long-term role?, Which company/ies do you admire?, What have you accomplished that you are most proud of?, What are a couple of things that define you?).

We are committed to diversity and building an equitable and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and experiences. We have already taken steps to meet that commitment (>50% of the team has a diverse background). We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities.

Why Respira Labs?

• It is a mission-driven company providing an opportunity to make a significant difference for the future of respiratory health.
• You will have an opportunity to shape our company culture and our technical team working with the CEO and the advisory board.
• You will have full premium medical/dental/vision insurance coverage, three weeks paid time off (PTO) for the first three years, and additional weeks after years three and five. WFH two days per week if needed.
• A competitive salary (competitive with industry standards and commensurate with qualifications), generous equity, and benefits.

Please forward a cover letter and resume to [email protected] with the title of the position as the subject line.