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Salary: USD 180,000 - 197,000 / annual
Vivodyne is building a "human tissue on-a-chip" platform that accelerates drug discovery by testing therapeutics on lab-grown human organ tissues at massive scale, combining robotics, microfluidics, and AI. The company partners with top pharmaceutical companies and produces more human data than all US clinical trials combined.
As a Senior Engineer on the Microfluidics & Applications team, you will own the design, fabrication, quality control, and biological validation of microfluidic devices that are central to Vivodyne's automated platform. This is a hands-on role spanning two disciplines: precision manufacturing and biological applications.
On the manufacturing side, you will execute high-precision fabrication and assembly of PDMS and thermoplastic microfluidic devices, contribute to process design and improvement, operate cleanroom equipment, perform in-process measurements, and drive continuous improvement initiatives. You will manage QC procedures, track metrics, investigate deviations, and maintain component inventory.
On the applications side, you will run mammalian cell culture, microfluidic seeding, perfusion, and assay workflows on the devices you manufacture. You will translate biologists' protocols into automation-compatible procedures, validate that manufacturing changes preserve biological performance, use Python scripting to control the robotic platform, and support bring-up of new high-throughput capabilities.
You will work cross-functionally with hardware engineers, software engineers, tissue biologists, and automation specialists. You are expected to own your assigned processes and experiments end-to-end, surface problems early with data, propose improvements grounded in bench observations, and communicate clearly across disciplines. You will author and maintain SOPs, collect and analyze data, and help train technicians and newer engineers.
The role offers high-impact work in drug discovery, exposure to robotics, AI, and biology, real ownership from day one, and a clear path to Staff and Principal roles in a fast-growing startup.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field (M.S. preferred)
- 3–5 years of relevant industry experience in precision manufacturing of microfluidic, semiconductor, or cartridge-based products, or in biological lab automation, with meaningful exposure to the other
- Hands-on experience fabricating microfluidic devices (PDMS, thermoplastics, or glass), including soft lithography and device assembly/bonding; CNC micromachining, laser ablation, or injection molding experience is a plus
- Experience working in a cleanroom or cleanroom-like laboratory or manufacturing environment
- Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture and standard biological lab equipment
- Familiarity with liquid handlers, perfusion systems, or other precision automation
- Working proficiency in Python or similar language for scripting, data acquisition, and analysis
- Experience tracking in-process measurements and QC metrics for quality assurance and continuous improvement
- Strong problem-solving, analytical, and quantitative skills; ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Clear written and verbal communication, including SOPs, process documents, and quality reports
