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Lead Instrument Engineer / Architect

Mechanical / Optical / Compute

Berkeley, CA

Company Overview

At Bifrost Biosystems, we are passionate about inventing breakthrough technologies to ultimately improve human health. Are you also driven to make a difference?

Bifrost is a startup life sciences tools company that will transform conventional drug discovery methods through its functional multiomics Optical Pooled Screening (OPS) bioplatform. Our platform elegantly links multiplex single-cell imaged phenotypes to barcoded genetic mutations in a pooled format for ultra-high throughput data generation. Accessing this data through conventional methods has been unfeasible to date and the Bifrost platform, combined with advancements in ML/AI, now enables insights into functional genomics at massive scale. The platform integrates innovations in single-cell biology, chemistry, engineering, imaging, and computation to enable applications exploring the underlying causes of human disease, the development of new therapies, and diverse studies of fundamental microbial and mammalian cell biology.

Position Summary

We are seeking an exceptional Lead Instrument Engineer to join our dynamic and highly collaborative team and lead instrument development and architecture for our next generation OPS platform. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics or a related field, with a track record of accomplishments in the life sciences industry specifically related to developing optical and mechanical instruments. The successful candidate will exhibit strong engineering and problem-solving skills, a good understanding of the life sciences industry, and an excellent grasp of mechanical and optical design fundamentals, super-resolution techniques, and compute algorithms for image extraction.

As Lead Instrument Engineer, you will be responsible for specifying, architecting, designing, developing, testing and validating Bifrost’s flagship, next-generation instrument. As Bifrost grows, the Lead Instrument Engineer is expected to lead a small team to execute hardware, software and optics development and validation.

Key Responsibilities

    • Lead the architecture, design and development of our next generation instrument
    • Supervise and direct development activities with our Contract Manufacturer.
    • Manage and oversee the execution of hardware and optics projects, including external vendor management, to ensure adherence to performance goals. 
    • Manage and direct algorithm development for Bifrost’s super-resolution optical modalities in collaboration with the software team and external consultants. 
    • Partner with the software team to develop advanced data analysis capabilities, including segmentation, parameter extraction, and machine learning models for data regression and classification.
    • Accurately track and clearly communicate instrument development status, risks, and any issues to stakeholders.
    • Proactively address issues and challenges that may arise during project execution.
    • Design and document parts, assemblies and products including CAD models, details drawings, work instructions and testing protocols.
    • Develop, optimize and debug code for compute algorithms.
    • Run simulations for mechanical stress, thermal, vibration, optics using FEA or similiar tools.
    • Develop reliable and cost-effective products using DFM, SPC and related disciplines.
    • Stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and trends in the field.
    • Work independently and as part of the larger team.

      Qualifications

        • MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics or a related field.
        • At least 7+ years of experience developing products for the life sciences industry.
        • Broad knowledge of hardware, mechanics, physics, optics, and manufacturing processes. 
        • Able to use Solidworks for CAD modeling and detail drawing. Familiarity with the use of GD&T and tolerancing principles.
        • Able to use FEA and other modeling tools to provide predictions of mechanical, thermal, optical performance of the system and system components.
        • Strong coding experience (Python, C/C++/C#/Matlab/TensorFlow) is strongly desired. Especially relevant work includes imaging algorithms, super-resolution techniques, segmentation, large data structures and image processing libraries (e.g., OpenCV, ImageJ, scikit-image).
        • Strong analytic, debugging and problem-solving skills.
        • Self-starter and able to work independently.
        • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
        • Legally authorized to work in the US.

      Benefits

        • Competitive compensation structure
        • Medical, dental and vision insurance
        • Flexible work schedule
        • Generous time-off and holiday policy

      Apply

      Ready to join our team? If you’re excited about this opportunity and meet the qualifications, we’d love to hear from you!

      Please send along your resume and cover letter to careers@bifrost.bio. In order to make sure your application gets to the right hiring manager, please include “Application for Lead Instrument Engineer MEB002“ as the Subject. Thanks!

      Bifrost is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment.

      In accordance with the Company’s duty to provide and maintain a safe workplace, the Company requires all employees to be Fully Vaccinated with one of the FDA approved COVID-19 vaccines, which includes those vaccines that have received the FDA’s emergency use authorization. You will be expected to be Fully Vaccinated as of your Start Date. If you believe that you are exempt from this requirement under an applicable law or regulations, including Americans with Disabilities Act, you will need to contact the Company’s Human Resources group. For purposes of this section, Fully Vaccinated means (i) the completion of the vaccination regimen as approved by the FDA (by way of example, 2 doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and 1 dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine), and (ii) timely receiving booster vaccination, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

      We are currently not accepting any new third-party agencies or firms at this time. Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our website, employees or Human Resources. Bifrost Biosystems will not pay fees to any third-party agency or firm associated with unsolicited resumes.