Senior Staff Surface Process Engineer / Surface Chemist

San Diego Stealth Startup; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 178,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

San Diego Stealth Startup is seeking a Senior Staff Surface Process Engineer / Surface Chemist to develop innovative surface chemistries and processing methods for biotech applications. This onsite role is based in San Diego, five days per week, requiring leadership in surface functionalization, coating techniques, and analytical characterization.

The successful candidate will design rigorous experiments (DOE), optimize processes for reproducibility and scalability, and mentor junior scientists

Qualifications

• MS with 10+ years of industrial experience or PhD with 6+ years in related fields.
• Expertise in surface chemistry and surface process development.
• Experience with biotechnology materials and surfaces.
• Strong understanding of interactions among organic/inorganic substrates and biomolecules.
• Hands-on experience with surface characterization techniques and DOE.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize surface chemistries and functionalization methods for biotech applications.
• Create surface preparation and processing methods including cleaning, plasma, vapor deposition, and coating techniques.
• Evaluate materials such as silanes, polymers, and coatings for surface activity.
• Design and execute DOE to understand chemistry, materials, and processing interactions.
• Develop reproducible, scalable surface treatments with uniform coating.
• Characterize surfaces using ellipsometry, contact angle, AFM, profilometry, XPS, SEM, etc.
• Document results and communicate findings to cross-functional teams.
• Mentor junior scientists and engineers to improve experimental design and iteration.

Skills

Surface chemistry

Experimental design

DOE

Statistical analysis

Education

M.S. in Chemistry / Chemical Engineering / Materials Science

Ph.D. in Chemistry / related field

Tools

Ellipsometry

XPS

SEM

AFM

Profilometry

Contact angle

Spin coating

Job description

Senior Staff Surface Process Engineer / Surface Chemist

Job Type: Full-Time

Salary Range: $178,000 - $190,000

Company

We are a rapidly growing, stealth biotech founded by leading industry experts to pioneer first-of-its-kind technology at the intersection of life sciences tools and diagnostics. Our mission is to redefine what diagnostic testing can reveal and enable advancements in patient care that were previously out of reach. Join us and help turn this vision into reality.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Senior Staff Surface Process Engineer / Surface Chemist to develop innovative surface chemistries and processing methods for advanced biotechnology applications. This role combines expertise in surface chemistry, materials science, and precision substrate processing with hands‑on experimental work in a fast‑paced, multidisciplinary environment. This position is located onsite in San Diego 5 days/week.

The successful candidate will lead the development and optimization of surface functionalization methods, including surface cleaning and preparation, chemical modification, thin‑film coatings, and deposition processes. The role requires a strong understanding of surface interactions with biomolecules, as well as experience developing reproducible surface treatments and processes on glass, silicon, metal oxides, and related substrates.

The ideal candidate will combine a strong foundation in surface chemistry with practical experience in surface processing techniques, analytical characterization, and experimental design.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize surface chemistries and functionalization methods for biotechnology applications, including functional coatings that have controlled interactions with biomolecules and passivation against non‑specific binding.
• Develop surface preparation and processing methods, including wet chemical cleaning, plasma treatment, vapor‑phase deposition, spin coating, dip coating, curing and other surface modification techniques.
• Evaluate and develop surface functionalization materials, including silanes, functional polymers, organic coatings, and other surface‑active materials.
• Design and execute rigorous experiments, including design of experiments (DOE), to understand surface chemistry, material properties, process interactions, and their impact on performance.
• Develop robust and reproducible surface treatment processes with an emphasis on coating uniformity, reproducibility and scalability.
• Characterize surface properties using analytical techniques such as ellipsometry, contact angle measurement, AFM, optical and fluorescence microscopy, profilometry, XPS, SEM, and related methods.
• Investigate the chemical and physical stability of surface treatments under relevant processing and application conditions.
• Develop and troubleshoot surface processing methods using laboratory equipment, including vapor deposition systems, plasma tools, ovens, and wet processing equipment. Identify scalable processing methods and tools.
• Document experimental results, establish technical understanding of surface processes, and communicate findings and recommendations to cross‑functional teams.
• Mentor junior scientists and engineers while fostering rigorous experimental design, scientific curiosity, and rapid technical iteration.

Qualifications

Required:

• M.S. with 10+ years of relevant industrial experience or Ph.D. with 6+ years of relevant industrial experience in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated expertise in surface chemistry and surface process development.
• Industrial experience in biotechnology, life sciences, or related fields involving the development of materials, surfaces, or processes for biotechnology applications.
• Strong understanding of surface chemistry and interactions between organic materials, inorganic substrates, and biomolecules.
• Experience developing and optimizing surface treatments for glass, silicon, metal oxides, or related materials.
• Extensive hands‑on experience in one or more of the following:
• Experience with surface characterization techniques such as ellipsometry, contact angle measurement, AFM, profilometry, fluorescence microscopy, SEM, XPS, or related analytical methods.
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute experiments to investigate complex chemical and physical interactions, troubleshoot technical challenges, and optimize surface performance.
• Experience with statistical experimental design (DOE), process optimization, and statistical data analysis tools such as JMP, Python, R, or equivalent.
• Experience operating and troubleshooting laboratory equipment used for surface preparation, modification, and characterization.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical findings to multidisciplinary teams.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑moving, highly collaborative research and development environment.
• Strong hands‑on laboratory skills and willingness to independently develop, execute, and troubleshoot experimental processes.

Preferred:

• Experience with biomolecule immobilization and surface passivation
• Experience with polymer chemistry, silane chemistry, covalent surface functionalization, or related materials chemistry.
• Experience integrating surface chemistry with photolithography, nanoimprint lithography, or other advanced microfabrication and nanofabrication techniques.
• Experience demonstrating transitioning surface process methods from R&D to manufacturing.

Why Join Us

• Work at the intersection of surface chemistry, materials science, and biotechnology to develop innovative technologies for advanced biological applications.
• Play a central role in developing and optimizing surface technologies that directly influence product performance.
• Contribute to challenging scientific and engineering problems with opportunities for technical leadership and innovation.
• Competitive compensation, equity, comprehensive benefits, and flexibility to support work‑life integration.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We thrive on diversity and collaboration