Project Lead - Bioreactor manufacturing

Stealth Startup; Eindhoven; On-site; EUR 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Stealth Startup in the Netherlands is seeking a Project Lead/Manager with an MSc in Mechanical Engineering and 5+ years of experience in biopharma or related process environments to drive scalable equipment for advanced manufacturing.

You'll lead multidisciplinary equipment projects from concept through commissioning, collaborate with scientists, EPCs, OEMs and vendors, and guide design reviews, FAT/SAT, installation and scale-up strategy.

Qualifications

• Have an MSc in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• Bring 5+ years of industry experience from biopharma, food biotech or a comparable process environment.
• Have delivered multidisciplinary equipment or machine-building projects.
• Understand mechanical systems, tolerances and technical specifications.
• Can confidently work with EPCs, OEMs, fabricators and specialist vendors.
• Have strong project management, stakeholder communication and risk-management skills.
• Enjoy solving technical problems during design, testing, installation and commissioning.
• Experience with aseptic equipment, hygienic design, CIP/SIP systems, CAD, engineering modelling or bioprocess scale-up would be valuable.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex equipment projects from initial concept through commissioning.
• Translate process requirements into equipment concepts and technical specifications.
• Guide vendors, lead design reviews and oversee FAT/SAT, installation and commissioning.
• Define scale-up strategy while managing risks, budgets, resources and timelines.
• Combine strategic ownership with practical, hands-on engineering.

Skills

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Design

Project Management

Education

MSc in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD

Engineering modelling

Job description

What if your next engineering challenge wasn’t improving an established production line but helping create an entirely new way of manufacturing?

We’re a well funded biotechnology company from the Netherlands, that has developed an advanced tissue-engineering solution enabling premium, sustainable materials to be manufactured at scale. Our technology is already being evaluated through pilot programmes with global automotive leaders.

The science works. The market is engaged. Now we’re building the engineering and production capabilities required for commercial scale.

We’re looking for a Project Lead/ Manager with experience in Mechanical Engineer and Mechanical Design who wants to take a defining role in that journey. You’ll help translate breakthrough tissue engineering into robust industrial production designing specialised equipment, building strong technical partnerships and solving engineering challenges for which no established playbook exists.

This is your chance to:

• Shape the architecture of an emerging production platform
• Lead complex equipment projects from initial concept through commissioning
• Work at the intersection of mechanical engineering, tissue engineering and advanced manufacturing
• Collaborate directly with scientists, engineers, founders and external technology partners
• Become our mechanical engineering authority for EPC and OEM relationships
• Develop equipment capable of supporting demanding global customer applications
• Make decisions with a visible and lasting impact on our company and technology

Our biological process requires equipment designed for aseptic and hygienic operation. Cleanability, sterilisation, contamination control and process reliability will be central to your engineering decisions.

You’ll be trusted to turn process requirements into equipment concepts and technical specifications, evaluate proposed solutions, guide vendors, lead design reviews and oversee Factory Acceptance Tests, Site Acceptance Tests, installation and commissioning.

You’ll also help define our scale‑up strategy while managing technical risks, budgets, resources and delivery timelines. This is a role for someone who can combine strategic project ownership with practical, hands‑on engineering.

We think you’ll thrive here if you:

• Have an MSc in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
• Bring 5+ years of industry experience from biopharma, food biotech or a comparable process environment
• Have delivered multidisciplinary equipment or machine-building projects
• Understand mechanical systems, tolerances and technical specifications
• Can confidently work with EPCs, OEMs, fabricators and specialist vendors
• Have strong project management, stakeholder communication and risk‑management skills
• Enjoy solving technical problems during design, testing, installation and commissioning

Experience with aseptic equipment, hygienic design, CIP/SIP systems, CAD, engineering modelling or bioprocess scale‑up would be particularly valuable.

This role is for an Mechanical engineer turned Project Lead/ Manager who is energised by making decisions in an evolving environment and motivated by seeing complex machinery come to life.