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Freelance Computational Neuroscience Software Engineer Jobs

TBC

Computational Neuroscientist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Our Algorithm Discovery Platform brings together biology, computational neuroscience, AI research and software engineering to develop new algorithms, architectures and neurally-optimized software for ...

TBC

Our Algorithm Discovery Platform brings together biology, computational neuroscience, AI research and software engineering to develop new algorithms, architectures and neurally-optimized software for ...

American Society for Experimental Neurotherapeutics

$36K - $49K/yr

... computational cognitive and systems neuroscience, capable of collaborating with clinical ... science, engineering, applied mathematics, or psychiatric disorders. The long-term goal is to ...

Alljoined

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$140K - $200K/yr

About the Role As a Software Engineer , you will build the infrastructure that allows us to do high ... powers machine learning and computational neuroscience workflows. * Built core Python ...

Alljoined

Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $160K/yr

About the Role As a Software Engineer , you will build the infrastructure that allows us to do high ... powers machine learning and computational neuroscience workflows. * Built core Python ...

Alljoined

Computational Neuroscientist

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $160K/yr

... engineers and researchers, to design experiments to optimize next-generation neural decoding ... PhD/postdoc in neuroscience or a related field. * Extensive experience in designing and executing ...

Freelance

Software Engineer

Berkeley, CA · On-site

Software Engineer Location : Berkeley , CA Type : Contract Required skills and experience: 1. PhD ... computational trade offs needed for real-time machine learning applications. 4. Familiarity with ...

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Freelance Computational Neuroscience Software Engineer information

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How much do freelance computational neuroscience software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for freelance computational neuroscience software engineer in the United States is $158,190.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $120,000.00 and $183,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a freelance computational neuroscience software engineer?

A Freelance Computational Neuroscience Software Engineer is a professional who designs and develops software tools, models, and simulations to study the brain and nervous system, working independently or on a contract basis. They often collaborate with neuroscientists to create and analyze computational models of neural processes, develop data analysis pipelines, or build custom software for research projects. This role requires strong programming skills, knowledge of neuroscience concepts, and the ability to work across interdisciplinary teams. Freelancers in this field may work with universities, research labs, or biotech companies on a project-by-project basis.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a freelance computational neuroscience software engineer?

To thrive as a Freelance Computational Neuroscience Software Engineer, you need a strong background in neuroscience, programming (Python, MATLAB), and quantitative analysis, often supported by an advanced degree in a relevant field. Familiarity with neural modeling tools (e.g., NEURON, Brian), data analysis platforms, and version control systems like Git is typically required. Excellent problem-solving, self-management, and communication skills help you collaborate effectively with clients and research teams. These skills enable you to deliver accurate, innovative solutions to complex scientific problems while efficiently managing projects independently.

How do freelance computational neuroscience software engineers typically collaborate with research teams and manage project communication?

Freelance computational neuroscience software engineers often work remotely and collaborate closely with interdisciplinary research teams, including neuroscientists, data analysts, and other engineers. Effective communication is typically maintained through regular video meetings, project management tools, and version control platforms like GitHub. Clear documentation and proactive status updates are crucial for aligning expectations and progress. Additionally, freelancers may need to quickly adapt to new scientific domains and software requirements, so being responsive and flexible with team feedback is highly valued.
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Freelance Computational Neuroscience Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Freelance Computational Neuroscience Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 1% As Needed, 86% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 12% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $158,190 per year, or $76.1 per hour.

Computational Neuroscientist

San Francisco, CA • On-site

The Biological Computing Co
See more jobs at The Biological Computing Coexternal

$175K - $225K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 3 days ago

Job description

About TBC
The Biological Computing Co. (TBC) is an applied biological computing company that uses real neurons to improve AI models.
We study how biological neural networks process information, extract useful computational principles and translate those insights into software that makes modern AI models better, faster and more efficient. Our Algorithm Discovery Platform brings together biology, computational neuroscience, AI research and software engineering to develop new algorithms, architectures and neurally-optimized software for generative video and next-generation AI infrastructure.
Today, we are commercializing neurally optimized models that run on conventional GPU and cloud infrastructure. Longer term, we are building toward real-time biological compute, where real neurons operate alongside silicon as part of the compute stack.
Our interdisciplinary team includes researchers and engineers with experience at Apple, Johns Hopkins, Meta, MIT, Stanford and other leading institutions.
About the Role
TBC is seeking a Computational Neuroscientist to help derive novel algorithms and model improvements for AI from understanding the dynamics of real neurons.
You will work across computational neuroscience, biology and machine learning to design experiments, analyze large-scale neural recordings and build models that connect living neural systems with modern foundation models. Your work will sit at the center of TBC's Algorithm Discovery Platform: identifying where AI models fail, studying how biological neural networks approach related problems and translating what we learn into usable software.
This is a hands-on, high-ownership role for someone who wants to help define a new field. You will work closely with wet-lab biologists, AI researchers and engineers to move from experiment to mathematical principle to model performance.
Design biological computing experiments
  • Design experiments that encode temporal, spatial and multimodal information into living neural cultures.
  • Develop stimulation and information-encoding paradigms for high-density multi-electrode array systems.
  • Define experimental controls, baselines and validation criteria that distinguish useful biological effects from noise or generic dynamical behavior.
  • Partner with the biology team to improve culture readiness, experimental consistency and reproducibility.

Analyze neural population dynamics
  • Analyze large-scale electrophysiological recordings from high-density MEAs and related neural-interface platforms.
  • Model neural population dynamics, latent spaces, neural manifolds, temporal structure, effective connectivity and state transitions.
  • Develop methods for decoding neural responses and identifying computationally useful spatial and temporal patterns.
  • Characterize how neural networks respond, adapt, learn and retain information across different stimulation conditions and time scales.

Translate biology into AI systems
  • Work with AI researchers to convert neural dynamics into mathematical principles, architectures, adapters, optimizers and learning rules.
  • Test whether biologically derived principles improve generative video, world models, inference efficiency, continual learning, memory or generalization.
  • Compare biological approaches against strong non-biological controls and surrogate models.
  • Determine which properties of the biological response are necessary for model improvement and which can be simplified for scalable software implementation.
  • Evaluate discoveries across model sizes, datasets, architectures and modalities.

Build closed-loop research infrastructure
  • Help build tools for neural stimulation, real-time readout, experiment orchestration, data analysis and rapid iteration.
  • Develop reusable analysis pipelines and computational tools that connect wet-lab experiments with AI-model evaluation.
  • Support closed-loop systems in which model results inform biological experiments and biological measurements inform the next model iteration.
  • Contribute to TBC's longer-term work in latent-space interfacing, neural controllability, connectome-guided learning and real-time biological inference.

Shape research strategy
  • Own research workstreams from hypothesis and experimental design through analysis, validation and technical communication.
  • Help define research priorities, technical milestones and decision criteria for TBC's neuroscience programs.
  • Identify scientific, statistical and experimental risks before they become blockers.
  • Communicate findings clearly to biology, AI, engineering, product and company leadership.
  • Contribute to internal documentation, research publications, technical presentations and external scientific communications as appropriate.

What Success Looks Like
  • Neural experiments produce consistent, high-quality and interpretable population-level data.
  • Biological observations are converted into testable computational hypotheses.
  • Validated neural principles become software that produces measurable improvements in real AI models.
  • Results hold up against strong controls, ablations and non-biological alternatives.
  • Experimental and computational pipelines allow the team to move more quickly from question to evidence.
  • TBC develops a clearer understanding of how biological networks represent, transform, learn and retain information.
  • Your work advances both near-term neurally optimized software and the longer-term path to real-time biological compute.

Required Qualifications
  • Ph.D. or equivalent research experience in computational or systems neuroscience, neural engineering, machine learning, applied mathematics, physics, statistics or a related field.
  • Strong background in neural-data analysis, neural population dynamics, neural coding or dynamical systems.
  • Experience working with electrophysiology, MEA recordings, calcium imaging, brain-computer interfaces or comparable neural datasets.
  • Strong programming ability in Python and experience with scientific-computing and machine-learning tools.

Experience with several of the following:
  • Dimensionality reduction
  • Latent-variable models
  • Neural manifolds
  • Dynamical-systems modeling
  • Encoding and decoding models
  • Time-series analysis
  • Effective-connectivity analysis
  • Statistical modeling and uncertainty analysis
  • Ability to design rigorous experiments and distinguish correlation from causal or mechanistic evidence.
  • Ability to communicate clearly and work effectively with wet-lab scientists, AI researchers and engineers.
  • Strong scientific judgment, ownership and comfort operating in a fast-moving research environment where the playbook is still being written.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with closed-loop neural interfaces, adaptive stimulation or real-time neural decoding.
  • Experience with causal inference, connectomics, synaptic plasticity, STDP or effective-connectivity estimation.
  • Familiarity with foundation models, generative video, world models, reinforcement learning or model-representation analysis.
  • Experience with reservoir computing, neuromorphic computing, biological computing or other nontraditional compute substrates.
  • Experience connecting population-level neural dynamics to machine-learning architectures.
  • Familiarity with PyTorch, JAX or other modern deep-learning frameworks.
  • Experience building reusable research infrastructure, analysis pipelines or internal scientific tools.
  • Publications at leading neuroscience, neural-engineering or machine-learning venues.
  • Interest in translating frontier research into products that improve real AI systems.

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