Senior MEMS Development Engineer - Pathogen

Ellison Institute of Technology; Oxford; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) is seeking an experienced Senior MEMS Development Engineer to drive MEMS device design, prototyping and integration for next-generation nanopore sequencing technologies. You will own MEMS development from concept to functional prototypes and work with external partners to mature devices.

Collaborating with the Senior Electronics R&D Engineer, you will steer iterative improvements in MEMS design and electronic integration, while advancing fabrication

Qualifications

• Experience in MEMS engineering and device development.
• Knowledge of microfabrication, materials, and device architecture.
• Ability to design, prototype and characterise MEMS devices.

Responsibilities

• Take technical ownership of the MEMS engineering development of novel microfabricated sensing structures and device interfaces, from early concepts through to functional prototypes and integrated systems.
• Design and develop microfabricated devices and test structures, including the selection of materials, fabrication processes and device geometries.
• Develop and evaluate fabrication approaches using established semiconductor and MEMS manufacturing techniques, adapting processes to meet the requirements of novel sensing devices.
• Collaborate with the Senior Electronics R&D Engineer to co-develop and evaluate prototype devices, using experimental findings to guide iterative improvements in MEMS design and electronic integration.
• Design and characterise mechanical, electrical and material interfaces, investigating their influence on device performance, reliability and repeatability.
• Develop experimental methods and test structures to assess fabrication quality, dimensional accuracy, device performance and reliability.
• Investigate the effects of materials, surface properties, fabrication tolerances and assembly processes on device behaviour and performance.
• Collaborate with electrical and mechanical engineers to develop prototype assemblies, alignment methods and experimental test platforms.
• Identify and resolve fabrication challenges through design iteration, experimental characterisation and failure analysis.
• Develop increasingly sophisticated prototype devices as the project progresses, supporting the transition from initial feasibility studies to integrated nanopore sensing systems.
• Identify and engage external fabrication facilities, engineering suppliers and technical collaborators to support the development and manufacture of prototype components and devices.
• Define technical specifications and fabrication requirements for external suppliers, including design documentation, material requirements, dimensional tolerances and performance criteria.
• Coordinate technical activities with external suppliers and collaborators, reviewing fabrication approaches, monitoring progress and evaluating deliverables against agreed requirements.
• Plan and execute structured experiments, analyse performance data and translate findings into engineering requirements and design improvements.
• Contribute to the selection and development of fabrication methods, considering manufacturability, scalability, cost and process reliability.
• Maintain clear technical docume

Job description

At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we're on a mission to translate scientific discovery into real world impact. We bring together visionary scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovators to tackle humanity's greatest challenges in four transformative areas: Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture Climate Change & Managing CO₂ Artificial Intelligence & Robotics This is ambitious work - work that demands curiosity, courage, and a relentless drive to make a difference. At EIT, you'll join a community built on excellence, innovation, tenacity, trust, and collaboration, where bold ideas become real-world breakthroughs. Together, we push boundaries, embrace complexity, and create solutions to scale ideas from lab to society. Explore more at .

Welcome to the Pathogen Programme Within this ecosystem, the Pathogen Mission exemplifies EIT's commitment to transformative science. It aims to revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases by leveraging whole genome sequencing (WGS)-based metagenomic and pathogen-specific analytical tools. This remit includes the development of a decentralised, sample-to-answer sequencing diagnostic platform for infectious diseases, enabling rapid and accurate analysis of patient samples without prior assumptions. Supported by Oracle Inc.'s cloud-computing scale and security infrastructure, the Pathogen Mission is progressing toward certified diagnostic products for deployment in laboratories, hospitals, and public health organisations worldwide.

Your Role

We're seeking an experienced and innovative Senior MEMS Development Engineer to develop novel microfabricated devices and sensor interfaces for next-generation nanopore sequencing technologies. This hands-on role will focus on designing, prototyping, and characterising MEMS devices, taking concepts from proof-of-concept through to integrated multi-channel sensing systems. Working closely with a Senior Electronics R&D Engineer, you'll drive device development through iterative design, testing, and optimisation. You'll tackle challenges spanning microfabrication, materials, device architecture, and MEMS-electronics integration while collaborating with external fabrication partners and technical suppliers. As the programme grows, you'll help establish the MEMS engineering capabilities, processes, and technical foundations needed to support a wider multidisciplinary team.

Key Responsibilities

• Take technical ownership of the MEMS engineering development of novel microfabricated sensing structures and device interfaces, from early concepts through to functional prototypes and integrated systems.
• Design and develop microfabricated devices and test structures, including the selection of materials, fabrication processes and device geometries.
• Develop and evaluate fabrication approaches using established semiconductor and MEMS manufacturing techniques, adapting processes to meet the requirements of novel sensing devices.
• Work closely with the Senior Electrical R&D Engineer to co-develop and evaluate prototype devices, using experimental findings to guide iterative improvements in MEMS design and electronic integration.
• Design and characterise mechanical, electrical and material interfaces, investigating their influence on device performance, reliability and repeatability.
• Develop experimental methods and test structures to assess fabrication quality, dimensional accuracy, device performance and reliability.
• Investigate the effects of materials, surface properties, fabrication tolerances and assembly processes on device behaviour and performance.
• Collaborate with electrical and mechanical engineers to develop prototype assemblies, alignment methods and experimental test platforms.
• Identify and resolve fabrication challenges through design iteration, experimental characterisation and failure analysis.
• Develop increasingly sophisticated prototype devices as the project progresses, supporting the transition from initial feasibility studies to integrated nanopore sensing systems.
• Identify and engage specialist external fabrication facilities, engineering suppliers and technical collaborators to support the development and manufacture of prototype components and devices.
• Define technical specifications and fabrication requirements for external suppliers, including design documentation, material requirements, dimensional tolerances and performance criteria.
• Coordinate technical activities with external suppliers and collaborators, reviewing fabrication approaches, monitoring progress and evaluating deliverables against agreed requirements.
• Plan and execute structured experiments, analyse performance data and translate findings into engineering requirements and design improvements.
• Contribute to the selection and development of fabrication methods, considering manufacturability, scalability, cost and process reliability.
• Maintain clear technical docume