Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator — DARPA SBIR Phase I (Part-Time, 20+ hrs/wk)
Remote · US-based · December 2026 – April 2027 · $65–85/hour
Military working dogs are force multipliers — they detect threats no equipment can and operate where people can't. But when one is injured downrange, the handler is often carrying a second medical kit, because products built for humans frequently don't work on canines. That added weight and complexity is a real operational burden.
We've been selected for a DARPA Phase I SBIR under the BARK program to demonstrate that a single device can serve both human warfighters and military working dogs. We're hiring a Principal Investigator to lead that technical program.
About us
We're a development-stage medical device company working on a problem that hasn't changed much in decades: getting the right drug into the right patient, fast, in conditions that aren't a hospital.
Our platform is a universal intranasal atomizer. It attaches to standard medication vials, delivers a metered dose in any orientation, works without needles, and requires no specialized training to operate. One device instead of a different one for every drug. The design came out of a documented need from military medicine — existing tools for battlefield drug administration take too long and involve too many steps — and the same problem shows up in ambulances, emergency departments, and community overdose response.
The company has been working on this since 2012. We hold issued patents in the United States and China with a European application pending, and the device is on an FDA pathway that doesn't require clinical trials. We've completed structured evaluations with military and civilian end users, and we have procurement interest from emergency medical services, health systems, and harm reduction programs.
We're a small team — a physician, engineers, and a finance lead, all of whom have built and shipped medical products before. There is no layer between the person doing the work and the decisions about what gets built.
What you'll do
Lead a four-month computational and in vitro feasibility study. Model nasal airflow and particle deposition across human and canine anatomy. Develop a cross-species dosing framework. Design and oversee in vitro spray characterization at a contract laboratory. Author the Phase I final report and the technical sections of the Phase II proposal, and produce the monthly technical and financial summaries DARPA requires.
You'd work directly with our CTO, a practicing product development engineer at a major medical device manufacturer who invented the platform, and our COO, who has led multiple FDA submissions. This is a lead role on a small team, not a support role on a large one.
Required
PhD, or PhD candidate past comprehensive exams, in mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, or a closely related field. Demonstrated computational fluid dynamics experience — ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL, OpenFOAM, or Star-CCM+. Strong technical writing, since the deliverables are documents a federal sponsor reads. Available 20–25 hours per week from December through April. Authorized to work in the United States, with all work performed domestically. Able to travel once or twice for on-site testing. Able to comply with US export control requirements.
Federal eligibility requirement — please read before applying
SBIR rules require the Principal Investigator to be primarily employed by the small business, meaning more than 50% of total employment hours. Any concurrent paid employment — including a funded university assistantship — must be under 19 hours per week for the duration of the award. If you currently hold a full-time appointment elsewhere, you would need to formally reduce it before the award date.
Enrollment in a degree program is not employment and is not a barrier. This is about paid appointment hours, not coursework or dissertation work.
Location
Remote. We have a strong preference for candidates based in Texas, North Carolina, or South Carolina, where we have existing operational and clinical relationships and overlapping working hours. Candidates elsewhere in the US will be considered, but geography is a factor in our decision.
Strongly preferred
Nasal, respiratory, or inhalation drug delivery. Aerosol science, droplet size distribution, or particle deposition modeling. Comparative or veterinary anatomy. Prior SBIR, STTR, or federal research program experience. A publication record in a relevant area.
What we provide
Commercial software licenses — we don't ask anyone to use academic licenses for commercial work. Contract laboratory access. Direct collaboration with an experienced device team. A named Principal Investigator role on a competitively selected DARPA program.
Compensation and benefits
$65–85 per hour depending on experience, as a part-time W-2 employee. This structure is required for SBIR compliance and can't be converted to a contractor arrangement.
Statutory benefits apply: payroll tax withholding, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, and any state-mandated leave where applicable. Health insurance, paid time off, parental leave, and retirement contributions are not offered at this stage, and there's no equity component during Phase I. We'd rather state that plainly than have you discover it later.
Where this can lead
Phase I is a four-month proving ground for both sides. DARPA BARK Phase II is a $1.3 million award running roughly 24 months, and historically around 60% of Phase I awardees advance. Strong performance here would position you well to continue as Principal Investigator into Phase II at substantially expanded scope and compensation, with equity participation on the table at that stage, should we ask you to continue with us.
Beyond that, this is a small company with granted patents in three markets, a device on a Class I FDA pathway, and a federal procurement route open to it. Whoever leads this program well has a clear path to a senior technical role with real influence over what gets built. We're not offering that today — we're saying it's genuinely available to the right person.
Conditions of employment
Offer is contingent on executing an intellectual property assignment and confidentiality agreement, on confirming no conflicting obligations to a current or former institution, and on final contract execution with the sponsor.
Timeline
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis, interviews beginning immediately. Decisions will be made immediately as we find a good fit for our group, with limited onboarding in late October and full engagement beginning December. We've built the timeline so candidates adjusting a university appointment have room to do it properly.
To apply
Send a CV and a brief note to management[at]indevtechnologies.com covering: your CFD experience and the tools you've used, your current weekly paid employment hours and whether you can reduce them below 19, and your location. A first-author writing sample is welcome but not required at this stage.
Equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

Work arrangement
Yes