Materials Engineer

ZipRecruiter; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biotech start-up is seeking a Materials Engineer to develop and optimize hydrogel technology for cell culture. The role involves collaboration with scientists and commercial teams to enhance hydrogel properties and improve production methods. Ideal candidates will have a PhD in a relevant field and experience in tissue culture and materials characterization. Join us to make a difference in developing therapies that succeed in clinical applications.

Qualifications

• Experience in modifying hydrogels and surface functionalisation.
• Proficient in tissue culture with various cell types.

Responsibilities

• Develop proprietary hydrogel technology and scale-up manufacturing processes.
• Refine production processes to improve efficiency and quality.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Problem-Solving Skills

Scientific Flexibility

Education

PhD in Materials Chemistry

Equivalent Industry Experience

Tools

AFM

Spectroscopy

Job description

Job Description

Location: Cambridge, UK (on-site)

Contract duration: 9 months, full time. Potential to transfer to a full-time role, subject to funding.

StemBond Technologies is a University of Cambridge spin-off company that specialises in Advanced Cell Culture technologies. For the last 3 years, StemBond have provided cell culture tools to the scientific community to support their research in mechanobiological processes and of physiologically relevant tissue and cellular models, work which led to a recent profile by Innovate UK.

Our mission is to provide platforms and tools to biotech and pharma companies, which enable them to develop therapies that do not fail when transferred to patients. At StemBond, we believe that only through building a truly interdisciplinary team, and working together, can advancements be made. If you are excited by challenges, want to make the impossible a reality and are eager to learn what it is like to create a great technology and platform from scratch, this job is for you.

The Role:

As a Materials Engineer you will play a pivotal role developing our technology, focussing on developing and optimising our hydrogel for production at scale. You will collaborate closely with life scientists, physicists and the commercial team to enhance the hydrogel properties for cell culture, while also creating and improving production methods. Working in a small, energetic start-up, offers plenty of opportunities for learning and development for those with the energy and enthusiasm to get stuck-in and make a difference.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop StemBond’s proprietary hydrogel technology and assist in designing a scaled-up manufacturing process.
• Refine current production processes, implementing innovative techniques to improve efficiency and quality.
• Work across disciplines to address scientific and business related challenges.
• Develop and maintain SOPs to ensure consistency in hydrogel development

Successful applicants must have the right mindset: someone who can think outside the box to develop innovative solutions to unexpected challenges. Scientific flexibility is key, as this is a true interdisciplinary problem we’re trying to solve. The ideal candidate will have the following:

• A PhD, or equivalent industry experience, in materials chemistry, surface science, soft matter physics, biochemistry or related discipline.
• Experience of working with and modifying hydrogels and functionalisation of surfaces.
• Proficient in tissue culture with experience of culturing a variety of cells (iPSCs, primary human cells, cell lines, etc.)
• A wide-ranging knowledge of the various analytical tools and techniques which are used in material characterisation (e.g. AFM, spectroscopy, etc.).
• Demonstrated capability of both independent research and working as a team. Prior experience of interdisciplinary projects is key.
• Experience of early-stage production process development and scale-up design would be a plus.
• A willingness to learn and adapt to new techniques and technologies
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Even if you don’t tick all the boxes, but think you have the right attitude, we’d still love to hear from you!

To apply, please send a C.V. and cover letter, as a single pdf, to [e-mail] by 27/05/2025.

Ensure you include the job title in the subject line.