Lead Microfluidic Chip Engineer Rivercell
Data generation infrastructure for AI Virtual Cell models in drug discovery.
Permanent
Paris
No remote
Salary: Not specified
Skills we're looking for
Mechanical modeling
Motivational skills
Cross-functional team leadership
Assembly
Liquid
You'll be part of
Intelligence artificielle / Machine Learning
Pharmaceutique / Biotechnologique
Rivercell’s mission is to change how medicines are discovered by teaching AI to understand the human cell. Developing a single drug still takes years with an 90% failure rate in human. Predicting how cells respond to treatment before going to the lab would make it faster, and open up possibilities that are out of reach today.
That’s the promise of AI Virtual Cells: world models that learn the underlying rules of how cells respond to drugs and genetic changes, much as AlphaFold learned to predict protein structure. What holds them back is data. The vast, diverse, multimodal and time-resolved perturbational data they need doesn’t exist at scale, so we are building the infrastructure that generates it.
Our platform applies chemical and genetic perturbations to large cell populations and reads out their molecular and morphological responses at single-cell resolution, across millions of perturbation and context combinations. We then use that data to train our own world model of the cell.
Doing this takes a truly multidisciplinary team, where experts in thin films, microfluidics and instrumentation work side by side with experts in machine learning, computational biology and cell biology.
You'll be working on
We are looking for a Lead Microfluidic Chip Engineer to own the architecture, development, integration and small-scale production & QC of Rivercell's microfluidic chip.
You will coordinate a team of engineers, scientists and technicians responsible for the thin-film materials stack, surface coating, characterization, and assembly, and ensure that their work converges into a robust device meeting technical and functional specifications.
You will work hand-in-hand with our thin-film materials engineers, surface scientist, characterization engineer, microfluidics & biofluids engineer, assembly team and an interdisciplinary team spanning genetic engineering, AI and software, bio-laboratory automation, optics, electronics, and biology. You will be an integral part of an ambitious and exciting startup project from its inception.
Define the overall chip architecture, including electrodes, photoconductor, dielectric and hydrophobic stacks, fluidic chamber, optical path, electrical interfaces, and operating conditions
Build and maintain the chip-development roadmap, identify critical technical dependencies, and allocate internal and external resources against the highest-priority risks.
Manage a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, technicians and suppliers specialized in thin-film engineering, microfabrication and device characterization
Create and maintain the bill of materials, approved supplier list, batch records, traceability system, inspection methods, and acceptance criteria
Translate product-level requirements into measurable specifications for each layer and subsystem
Define the chip’s quality strategy and acceptance criteria, and ensure the implementation of technical and functional testing throughout development and production.
Establish process baselines, acceptance criteria, yield targets, and traceability systems for prototype and small-scale production
Lead technical trade-offs across thin films, optics, electronics, microfluidics, packaging, and biological compatibility
Plan and lead prototype fabrication campaigns with internal teams, external cleanrooms, research partners, and equipment vendors
Lead root-cause analyses for cross-functional failures such as insufficient actuation, non-uniform switching, dielectric breakdown, charge drift, fluidic leakage, or coating damage
Document architecture decisions, interface specifications, design rules, and process baselines
Interface with the leads responsible for optics, electronics, sample handling, and system integration to define and validate the chip’s interfaces with the complete instrument.
Establish and implement the chip IP strategy (patents, know-how, trade-secrets).
Opportunity to work on a cutting-edge project in the field of biotech
Opportunity to join an ambitious team and impactful startup among the first employees
Competitive salary and equity package
Exciting opportunities for personal and professional growth within the team
We're looking for
You have an engineering degree or equivalent advanced degree in nanoelectronics, electrical engineering, materials science, microfluidics, or a related field.
You have 7+ years of relevant experience in the development and integration of complex microfabricated devices, ideally involving several of the following: thin-film devices, electrical actuation, optics, microfluidics, MEMS, or lab-on-chip systems.
You have experience in the management of a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers.
You combine strong technical judgment with a willingness to work hands-on in the laboratory and solve practical problems.
You are autonomous, committed, enthusiastic, and comfortable working with a can-do, creative, and challenging mindset.
You are rigorous in experiment design, documentation, data interpretation, and communication of uncertainty.
You have excellent communication skills and are fluent in English; professional proficiency in French is helpful but not required.
You have previous experience or knowledge in one or more of the following areas:
Device physics and electrical modeling of multilayer structures
Microfabrication process integration and design of experiments
Digital microfluidics, electrowetting, optoelectrowetting, MEMS, lab-on-chip devices, or related systems
Technical leadership across multidisciplinary engineering teams
Management of external cleanrooms, foundries, or research partners
Please let us know in your application if you specifically have experience with one or several of the following:
EWOD, dielectric liquid interfaces, or high-field thin-film devices
Droplet-based cell biology
Photoconductors, insulators, or fluoropolymer coatings
Large-area substrate processing and process scale-up
Reliability engineering and failure analysis
How we hire
Throughout the recruiting process, you will meet 4 to 6 team members of Rivercell.
Introductory call (up to 30mn, videocall)
Technical interview (up to 90mn)
Performance interview (up to 90mn, in person)
Culture interview (up to 60mn, in person)