Experimental Systems Intern

Flagship Pioneering; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 55,000; Part time

Job summary

Flagship Pioneering in Cambridge, MA is seeking an Experimental Systems Intern. Senior undergraduate or master's students will help characterize a new sensor platform for small molecule sensing, developing repeatable workflows and robust experimental records.

You will design experiments, build fixtures with CAD/3D printing, run controlled studies, and document data in real time. Potential transition to full-time based on performance and project needs.

Qualifications

• Pursuing or recently completed BS or MS in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, bioengineering, or related field.
• Demonstrated hands-on laboratory or experimental experience in analytical chemistry, sensors, materials, or hardware testing.
• Familiarity with experimental controls, replicates, concentration/dilution, contamination control, and data interpretation.
• Comfort building fixtures with CAD/3D printing, laser-cutting, tubing, or similar tools.
• Ability to work independently at the bench and report deviations promptly.

Responsibilities

• Help design and execute controlled small molecule sensing experiments.
• Build, iterate, and qualify experimental fixtures for headspace exposure, airflow, sample positioning, and environmental control.
• Prepare and run concentration-series, blank, repeatability, recovery, and interference experiments.
• Characterize sensor response, stability, drift, reproducibility and recovery.
• Follow protocols precisely and record metadata in real time for traceability.
• Maintain organized experimental records and data handoffs for reproducibility.
• Review outputs with the team to distinguish true sensor signals from artifacts.
• Support automation ideas and higher-throughput experiment development.

Skills

Laboratory experience

Analytical chemistry

CAD & 3D printing

Data recording & analysis

Independent bench work

Education

BS/MS in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, bioengineering, or related field

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Arduino hardware

Git workflows

Job description

Location: Cambridge, MA
Time commitment: Part-time, approximately 25–30 hours per week; schedule must include multiple in-person laboratory days
Duration: 3–6 months, with the potential to transition into a full-time role based on performance, project needs, and mutual interest
Level: Senior undergraduate or master's student

Introduction

Flagship Pioneering is a company that creates companies, building ground-breaking platforms that change the world. We are a brave and bold organization of creative- thinkers with insurgent mindsets and corporate-builders with incumbent expertise. What if... we could harness the power of data with AI to create breakthroughs and accelerate the creation of new technologies? This is the question that Flagship Pioneering seeks to explore with our latest AI-focused business unit. Our mission is to create, launch, and scale breakthrough ventures that transform how we live, work, and connect. We build companies from zero to one, with cutting-edge AI, exceptional user experience, and a strong vision to pioneer an AI-native future.

The opportunity

We are developing a new method to measure small molecule compounds using an advanced sensor platform. We are seeking a hands-on Experimental Systems Intern to help characterize its performance and establish a rigorous, repeatable experimental workflow.

You will work closely with project leads to design experiments, build and qualify fixtures, execute controlled studies, and maintain a trustworthy record of each experimental run. The work sits at the intersection of chemistry, sensing hardware, and experimental design.

What you will do

• Help design and execute controlled small molecule compounds sensing experiments.
• Build, iterate, and qualify experimental fixtures for headspace exposure, airflow, sample positioning, and environmental control.
• Prepare and run concentration-series, blank, repeatability, recovery, and interference experiments using defined analytes.
• Characterize sensor response, stability, dynamic range, drift, reproducibility, and recovery.
• Follow written protocols precisely; record sample preparation, event timing, environmental conditions, geometry, and deviations in real time.
• Maintain organized experimental records, photographs, metadata, and raw-data handoffs so every run is traceable and reproducible.
• Review QC plots and experiment outputs with the team; help distinguish true sensor response from environmental, handling, or hardware artifacts.
• Use the team's AI-enabled and repository-based infrastructure to support experiment planning, documentation, data review, and workflow execution.
• Contribute practical ideas for automation, fixture improvements, and higher-throughput experiments.

What success looks like

By the end of the internship, you will have helped establish a repeatable experimental workflow that produces decision-quality data, including:

• A documented and reproducible exposure fixture and handling method.
• Controlled analyte-response experiments with appropriate blanks, replicates, recovery periods, and environmental records.
• Clear characterization of key performance variables: response magnitude, repeatability, drift, recovery, and sensitivity to interferents.
• Practical recommendations on the largest sources of variation and the next experiments needed to resolve them.

Qualifications

Required

• Pursuing or recently completed a BS or MS in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, bioengineering, or a related field.
• Demonstrated hands-on laboratory or experimental experience, ideally involving analytical chemistry, sensors, materials, environmental measurement, microfluidics, or hardware testing.
• Familiarity with experimental controls, replicates, concentration/dilution calculations, contamination control, and basic data interpretation.
• Strong attention to detail and comfort following protocols, recording data contemporaneously, and preserving unexpected or negative results.
• Comfortable building simple fixtures using CAD, 3D printing, laser-cutting, tubing, fasteners, or similar practical tools.
• Ability to work independently at the bench and communicate deviations or uncertainty promptly.

Preferred

• Experience with small molecule sensing, gas sensing, headspace sampling, analytical chemistry, electrochemistry, or materials characterization.
• Basic Python, MATLAB, R, or similar ability to inspect experimental data and QC outputs.
• Experience with Arduino-class hardware, sensors, data acquisition, or laboratory automation.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled development and research tools. Candidates should be able to use such tools critically: verify outputs, preserve source data and decision records, and elevate uncertainty rather than treating AI output as experimental evidence.
• Familiarity with Git-based workflows, structured experiment metadata, and reproducible data-analysis environments.
• Experience handling solvents and following laboratory safety procedures.

Who will thrive

You are a careful experimentalist who likes the physical reality of lab work: preparing samples consistently, controlling variables, improving fixtures, diagnosing artifacts, and generating data that withstands scrutiny.

Privacy Notice for Applicants: When you apply for a role at Flagship Pioneering or one of its portfolio companies, we collect and use personal information you provide (such as your name, contact details, work history, and application materials) to evaluate your application, communicate with you, and comply with legal obligations. Your application data is processed through Greenhouse, our applicant tracking system, and may also be reviewed using AI-assisted screening tools. We do not sell your personal information. California residents have rights under the CCPA/CPRA including to know, delete, and opt out of the sharing of their personal information. If you are located in the EU or UK, we process your data under GDPR and you have rights to access, rectify, and erase your data. To exercise your rights or for questions, contact [e-mail].

The pay range for this role is $25 - $40 per hour. This role is a short-term engagement that is not eligible for health and welfare benefits. Retirement benefits may be available after completing a set number of hours. Compensation and benefits information is based on Flagship Pioneering's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.

Privacy Notice for Applicants: When you apply for a role at Flagship Pioneering or one of its portfolio companies, we collect and use personal information you provide (such as your name, contact details, work history, and application materials) to evaluate your application, communicate with you, and comply with legal obligations. Your application data is processed through Greenhouse, our applicant tracking system, and may also be reviewed using AI-assisted screening tools. We do not sell your personal information. California residents have rights under the CCPA/CPRA including to know, delete, and opt out of the sharing of their personal information. If you are located in the EU or UK, we process your data under GDPR and you have rights to access, rectify, and erase your data. To exercise your rights or for questions, contact [e-mail].