Systems Engineer, Product Development - Life Sciences

Cambridge Design Partnership; Cambourne; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Learning and development opportunities

12% pension

EV lease salary sacrifice

Share incentive plan

33 days holiday

Job summary

Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) seeks a senior technical leader to guide multidisciplinary teams in delivering high-quality in vitro diagnostics and life science tool projects. You will act as the technical face to clients, mentor staff, and help grow the Diagnostics sector through key client engagements and conferences.

Role is full-time and hybrid, with at least three on-site days in Cambridge, UK, and travel to client sites and Raleigh, USA.

Qualifications

• Expert knowledge of the in vitro diagnostics and life sciences market with ability to identify opportunities for CDP and clients.
• Experience designing systems that implement complex biochemical assays with balanced trade-offs.
• Strong leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Familiarity with IVDR/MDR-like regulatory contexts and high-volume manufacturing considerations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee delivery of client projects with high technical quality; may lead projects and meet clients regularly.
• Mentor team in in vitro diagnostics and life science tools from graduates to seniors.
• Develop internal Diagnostics sector expertise and assist recruitment.
• Collaborate with client managers to nurture long-term client relationships.
• Raise sector profile by attending conferences; perform other duties as assigned.
• Support multi-site teams in UK and USA to navigate development programs.

Skills

IVD & life sciences domain

Leadership & people mgmt

Systems design for assays

Client engagement & sales support

Consultancy environment

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Physics or Natural Sciences

Job description

CDP design and develop consumable and reader systems for point-of-care, home and lab-based in vitro diagnostics (IVD) systems and life science tools for some of the world’s leading diagnostics and life-sciences companies, developing innovative products from early-stage concept, through to product launch.

Your objective will be to guide our multidisciplinary technical teams to drive product development programmes, delivering successful outcomes for our clients.

With your technical knowledge and experience in in vitro diagnostics or life science tools you will present as a trusted technical 'face' of the sector to our clients, collaborate with our sector business developers in EU and USA to bring in sales opportunities, and lead our multidisciplinary teams of technical experts in UK and USA to navigate the technical complexities of development projects to ensure the product meets requirements.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversee delivery of our client projects to a high level of technical quality. In some projects you may also be responsible for leading projects, communicating and meeting with clients regularly.
• Mentor and develop the team’s knowledge, skills and experience in in vitro diagnostics and life science tools, from graduate to senior levels.
• Help nurture our internal team of Diagnostics sector technical specialists, drawing from our general capability teams, and recruiting externally.
• Work with our client managers to nurture and develop long term client relationships.
• Help the sector raise its public profile globally by attending conferences
• Perform other duties as assigned

This role is full time/hybrid with minimum 3 days per week on site at our beautiful modern Cambridge, UK site. International travel will be required for visits to our clients, conferences, and our Raleigh, USA office.

Requirements

Skills and Attributes:

• Expert knowledge in the in vitro diagnostics and life sciences market, able to understand specialist technologies and applications to help identify compelling opportunities for CDP and clients.
• Expert at designing systems that implement complex biochemical assays; able to navigate the technical, user and cost trade-offs to develop 'well balanced' products.
• Leadership and communication skills to empower the team and drive multidisciplinary development projects efficiently and effectively towards well-defined goals.
• Creative and highly technical ability in many of the following areas: concept generation of consumables and reader systems; assay implementation, prototyping techniques, detail design; design of experiments; design for high volume manufacture, IVD V&V.
• Familiar with industry regulations IVDR, MDR and standards ISO 13485, 21CFR part 820 and ISO14971;
• Comfortable presenting to clients and groups, with confident, clear and compelling communication style.
• Confident working in a fast-paced consultancy environment.

Experience and Education:

• Career experience in medical device development, ideally having played a significant role in product launch of an in vitro diagnostic device or life science tools product. Alternatively, experience at a product /technology development consultancy working in the same field.
• Track record of planning and leading large development projects, taking responsibility for quality, time, and cost.
• Proven experience in account management activities, acting as technical lead in sales meetings, proposal writing and presenting.
• Degree-level education, or equivalent in relevant subject such as Mechanical Engineering, Physics or Natural Sciences.

Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP) is an end-to-end innovation partner, propelling global brands and ambitious start-ups to success. We build breakthrough products and services – from insight to ideas, prototypes to production – bringing innovation to life. Our teams are multi-disciplinary, uniting scientific rigor, design ingenuity, and engineering excellence for consumer and healthcare clients. People-centred, deeply collaborative, and – above all – expert, we're uniquely positioned to shape the future for consumers, patients, and industry. Even our ownership model is innovative: We're 100% owned by our employees, ensuring an open culture and a total commitment to our projects’ success. As part of our benefits package, we offer:

• a discretionary bonus
• excellent learning and development opportunities
• a 12% non-contributory pension
• electric vehicle lease salary sacrifice scheme
• share incentive plan
• 33 days holiday inclusive of bank holidays