Lead Microfluidic Chip Engineer

Rivercell; Paris; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and equity package

Growth opportunities

Equity option

Job summary

Rivercell is seeking a Lead Microfluidic Chip Engineer to own the architecture, development, and small-scale production of its microfluidic chip. You will coordinate a multidisciplinary team spanning thin-film materials, surface coating, characterization, and assembly to deliver a robust device aligned with specifications.

You will work with experts across genetics, AI, optics, electronics, and biology, playing a critical role from inception.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree or higher in nanoelectronics, electrical engineering, materials science, microfluidics, or related field.
• 7+ years of relevant experience in development and integration of complex microfabricated devices.

Responsibilities

• Define the overall chip architecture including electrodes, photoconductor, dielectric and hydrophobic stacks, fluidic chamber, optical path, and interfaces.
• Build and maintain the chip-development roadmap and allocate resources against risks.
• Manage a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, technicians and suppliers.

Skills

Team leadership

Microfabrication

Thin-film engineering

Device characterization

Microfluidics

Electrical actuation

Lab-on-chip

MEMS

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Education

Engineering degree or advanced degree

Tools

External cleanrooms

Foundries

Job description

We are looking for a Lead Microfluidic Chip Engineer to own the architecture, development, integration and small-scale production & QC of Rivercell's microfluidic chip.

You will coordinate a team of engineers, scientists and technicians responsible for the thin-film materials stack, surface coating, characterization, and assembly, and ensure that their work converges into a robust device meeting technical and functional specifications.

You will work hand-in-hand with our thin-film materials engineers, surface scientist, characterization engineer, microfluidics & biofluids engineer, assembly team and an interdisciplinary team spanning genetic engineering, AI and software, bio-laboratory automation, optics, electronics, and biology. You will be an integral part of an ambitious and exciting startup project from its inception.

• Define the overall chip architecture, including electrodes, photoconductor, dielectric and hydrophobic stacks, fluidic chamber, optical path, electrical interfaces, and operating conditions

• Build and maintain the chip-development roadmap, identify critical technical dependencies, and allocate internal and external resources against the highest-priority risks.

• Manage a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, technicians and suppliers specialized in thin-film engineering, microfabrication and device characterization

• Create and maintain the bill of materials, approved supplier list, batch records, traceability system, inspection methods, and acceptance criteria

• Translate product-level requirements into measurable specifications for each layer and subsystem

• Define the chip’s quality strategy and acceptance criteria, and ensure the implementation of technical and functional testing throughout development and production.

• Establish process baselines, acceptance criteria, yield targets, and traceability systems for prototype and small-scale production

• Lead technical trade-offs across thin films, optics, electronics, microfluidics, packaging, and biological compatibility

• Plan and lead prototype fabrication campaigns with internal teams, external cleanrooms, research partners, and equipment vendors

• Lead root-cause analyses for cross-functional failures such as insufficient actuation, non-uniform switching, dielectric breakdown, charge drift, fluidic leakage, or coating damage

• Document architecture decisions, interface specifications, design rules, and process baselines

• Interface with the leads responsible for optics, electronics, sample handling, and system integration to define and validate the chip’s interfaces with the complete instrument.

• Establish and implement the chip IP strategy (patents, know-how, trade-secrets).

• Opportunity to work on a cutting-edge project in the field of biotech

• Opportunity to join an ambitious team and impactful startup among the first employees

• Competitive salary and equity package

• Exciting opportunities for personal and professional growth within the team

You have an engineering degree or equivalent advanced degree in nanoelectronics, electrical engineering, materials science, microfluidics, or a related field.You have 7+ years of relevant experience in the development and integration of complex microfabricated devices, ideally involving several of the following: thin-film devices, electrical actuation, optics, microfluidics, MEMS, or lab-on-chip systems.You have experience in the management of a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers.You combine strong technical judgment with a willingness to work hands-on in the laboratory and solve practical problems.You are autonomous, committed, enthusiastic, and comfortable working with a can-do, creative, and challenging mindset.You are rigorous in experiment design, documentation, data interpretation, and communication of uncertainty.You have excellent communication skills and are fluent in English; professional proficiency in French is helpful but not required.You have previous experience or knowledge in one or more of the following areas:Device physics and electrical modeling of multilayer structuresMicrofabrication process integration and design of experimentsDigital microfluidics, electrowetting, optoelectrowetting, MEMS, lab-on-chip devices, or related systemsTechnical leadership across multidisciplinary engineering teamsManagement of external cleanrooms, foundries, or research partners