We are partnering with a medical device company in Oxford, based in the Magdalen Centre, Littlemore, developing a culture-free in vitro diagnostics platform for rapid bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing direct from whole blood. The technology integrates Raman spectroscopy, spiral microfluidics separation, and machine learning-driven spectral analysis to deliver clinically actionable results in a fraction of the time required by conventional blood cultural workflows.
The technology has demonstrated excellent performance in laboratory validation, and they are now advancing through a prototyping and pilot study phase, with regulatory submissions planned under FDA and EU IVDR pathways.
Microfluidics sits at the heart of our platform: it is how they take whole blood and deliver clean, concentrated, viable cells to the optical system. The person they hire will join a small, close-knit microfluidics team and have a direct and lasting influence on how their sample-preparation technology is designed, de-risked, and manufactured at scale.
About the Role
- Contribute to the design and optimisation of microfluidic devices and flow systems across our bacterial ID, AST, and fungal applications
- Design, build, and test prototypes, including experimental validation on biological samples
- Plan and run structured experiments and characterisation studies (e.g. design of experiments) to quantify performance and process robustness
- Analyse system performance and troubleshoot fluidic behaviour, using data to drive design decisions
- Develop and qualify cartridge sealing, bonding, and surface-treatment strategies working with internal teams and external partners
- Contribute to improving robustness, reliability, and scalability of devices
- Design for manufacture and scale-up, translating prototypes into robust, high-yield designs suited to volume-replication routes
- Engage with external fabrication and manufacturing partners
- Take ownership of specific subsystems or experiments from concept through testing and iteration
- Make engineering trade-offs between performance, manufacturability, and cost
- Work within the QMS, moving fluidly between rapid prototyping and regulated product development
- Create sub-system requirements from overall system and product requirements, and develop microfluidic systems that meet both
- Ensure engineering concepts are grounded in biological reality, working closely with our scientists
- Plan, capture, and record design rationale, protocols, and results in clear engineering documentation to support verification, validation, and regulatory submission
About the Candidate
Essential
- Degree in engineering, physics, or a related quantitative discipline, or equivalent practical experience
- Strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics or transport phenomena
- Proven hands-on experience with experimental systems or prototyping; designing, building, and testing physical devices, fluidic systems, or experimental hardware, ideally in a commercial setting
- Ability to operate independently, prioritise in a fast-moving startup environment, and communicate concepts clearly to colleagues with backgrounds in other disciplines.
- Confident integrating into a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and clinicians
- Pragmatic problem solver who is open to constructive challenge with a continuous improvement mindset
Desirable
- Experience with microfluidics, lab-on-chip systems, or small-scale fluid systems
- Familiarity with CAD, preferably Solidworks
- Experience scaling microfluidics systems for high volume manufacture Familiarity with microfabrication and replication techniques and the tolerances they impose
- Experience with surface functionalisation, bonding and sealing of polymers
- Experience handling biological samples (e.g. blood or cell suspensions) and associated safety practice
- Familiarity with design of experiments (DOE) and statistical analysis of test data
- Experience developing microfluidic devices coupled with optical detection and analytical workflows
- Working knowledge of (one or more) ISO 13485:2016, ISO 14971, EU IVDR, and FDA 21 CFR Part 820
- Experience in an early-stage startup or spin-out environment experiencing rapid growth
