# Senior MEMS Development Engineer - Pathogen > Ellison Institute of Technology · Oxford, United Kingdom · — · Posted 2026-10-20 **Workplace:** on_site **Department:** Applied Sequencing ## Description At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we’re on a mission to translate scientific discovery into real world impact. We bring together visionary scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovators to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges in four transformative areas: - Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology - Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture - Climate Change & Managing CO₂ - Artificial Intelligence & Robotics This is ambitious work - work that demands curiosity, courage, and a relentless drive to make a difference. At EIT, you’ll join a community built on excellence, innovation, tenacity, trust, and collaboration, where bold ideas become real-world breakthroughs. Together, we push boundaries, embrace complexity, and create solutions to scale ideas from lab to society. Explore more at . **Welcome to the Pathogen Programme** Within this ecosystem, the Pathogen Mission exemplifies EIT’s commitment to transformative science. It aims to revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases by leveraging whole genome sequencing (WGS)-based metagenomic and pathogen-specific analytical tools. This remit includes the development of a decentralised, sample-to-answer sequencing diagnostic platform for infectious diseases, enabling rapid and accurate analysis of patient samples without prior assumptions. Supported by Oracle Inc.’s cloud-computing scale and security infrastructure, the Pathogen Mission is progressing towards certified diagnostic products for deployment in laboratories, hospitals, and public health organisations worldwide. **Your Role** We're seeking an experienced and innovative **Senior MEMS Development Engineer** to develop novel microfabricated devices and sensor interfaces for next-generation nanopore sequencing technologies. This hands-on role will focus on designing, prototyping, and characterising MEMS devices, taking concepts from proof-of-concept through to integrated multi-channel sensing systems. Working closely with a Senior Electronics R&D Engineer, you'll drive device development through iterative design, testing, and optimisation. You'll tackle challenges spanning microfabrication, materials, device architecture, and MEMS-electronics integration while collaborating with external fabrication partners and technical suppliers. As the programme grows, you'll help establish the MEMS engineering capabilities, processes, and technical foundations needed to support a wider multidisciplinary team. **Key Responsibilities** - Take technical ownership of the MEMS engineering development of novel microfabricated sensing structures and device interfaces, from early concepts through to functional prototypes and integrated systems. - Design and develop microfabricated devices and test structures, including the selection of materials, fabrication processes and device geometries. - Develop and evaluate fabrication approaches using established semiconductor and MEMS manufacturing techniques, adapting processes to meet the requirements of novel sensing devices. - Work closely with the Senior Electrical R&D Engineer to co-develop and evaluate prototype devices, using experimental findings to guide iterative improvements in MEMS design and electronic integration. - Design and characterise mechanical, electrical and material interfaces, investigating their influence on device performance, reliability and repeatability. - Develop experimental methods and test structures to assess fabrication quality, dimensional accuracy, device performance and reliability. - Investigate the effects of materials, surface properties, fabrication tolerances and assembly processes on device behaviour and performance. - Collaborate with electrical and mechanical engineers to develop prototype assemblies, alignment methods and experimental test platforms. - Identify and resolve fabrication challenges through design iteration, experimental characterisation and failure analysis. - Develop increasingly sophisticated prototype devices as the project progresses, supporting the transition from initial feasibility studies to integrated nanopore sensing systems. - Identify and engage specialist external fabrication facilities, engineering suppliers and technical collaborators to support the development and manufacture of prototype components and devices. - Define technical specifications and fabrication requirements for external suppliers, including design documentation, material requirements, dimensional tolerances and performance criteria. - Coordinate technical activities with external suppliers and collaborators, reviewing fabrication approaches, monitoring progress and evaluating deliverables against agreed requirements. - Plan and execute structured experiments, analyse performance data and translate findings into engineering requirements and design improvements. - Contribute to the selection and development of fabrication methods, considering manufacturability, scalability, cost and process reliability. - Maintain clear technical documentation, design records and experimental results, contributing to intellectual property development and technical reviews while ensuring appropriate confidentiality. - Provide technical guidance and mentoring as the engineering team expands, helping establish robust engineering practices and development processes. ## Requirements **Knowledge, Skills and Experience** We welcome applicants from industry, applied research and academia who can demonstrate strong technical expertise and practical engineering capability. - Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience. - Significant experience in MEMS engineering, semiconductor microfabrication or microdevice development, ideally involving novel sensors, electronic interfaces or precision microfabricated systems. - Strong understanding of MEMS design principles, materials selection and microfabrication techniques. - Experience designing microfabricated devices using CAD tools, including the preparation of layouts, fabrication drawings or photolithography mask designs. - Practical knowledge of semiconductor and MEMS manufacturing processes, such as photolithography, thin-film deposition, etching, surface treatment and metallisation. - Experience developing and characterising prototype devices, including dimensional, mechanical and electrical evaluation. - Ability to understand and resolve fabrication challenges through experimental investigation, design modification and process optimisation. - Knowledge of material properties, fabrication tolerances and their influence on device functionality and reliability. - Experience planning and executing structured experimental programmes to characterise complex devices and resolve technical challenges. - Ability to work independently, establish technical approaches and deliver functional prototypes in an early-stage R&D environment. - Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and translating requirements between MEMS, electronics, mechanical engineering and device fabrication. - Ability to develop clear technical specifications and work effectively with external fabrication facilities, engineering suppliers or development partners. **Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience** - Experience developing MEMS or microfabricated devices for biosensing, electrochemical sensing, nanopore technologies or other sensor applications. - Knowledge of silicon micromachining, wafer processing and microelectronic device fabrication. - Experience with microfabricated electrodes, conductive thin films, dielectric materials or electronic sensor interfaces. - Familiarity with microelectronic packaging, device assembly, bonding and integration of MEMS with electronic systems. - Experience with polymeric materials, elastomeric components or other compliant materials used in microsystems. - Knowledge of mechanical contact behaviour, surface interactions, material deformation and reliability testing at small length scales. - Experience with optical microscopy, electron microscopy, profilometry, surface analysis or other microdevice characterisation techniques. - Experience designing devices that incorporate fluidic, electrochemical or biological components. - Familiarity with finite element analysis or other simulation methods for mechanical, thermal or material behaviour. - Experience working with external MEMS foundries, academic cleanroom facilities or specialist microfabrication suppliers. - Knowledge of fabrication process development, process yield improvement and quality control. - Understanding of design for manufacture, engineering reliability and transitioning prototype devices towards scalable production. **Key Attributes** - Hands-on and inventive: Enjoys solving technical challenges through practical engineering, experimentation and rapid prototyping. - Comfortable with early-stage R&D: Able to work effectively where solutions are not yet established and technical requirements evolve through experimentation. - Analytical and systematic: Uses sound engineering judgement and quantitative evidence to understand complex behaviour and guide design decisions. - Collaborative: Works closely with specialists in electronics, mechanical engineering, chemistry and MEMS fabrication, as well as external technical partners, to develop integrated solutions. - Independent and proactive: Can establish experimental capabilities, identify priorities and progress technical work with limited existing infrastructure. - Technically ambitious: Motivated by challenging engineering problems and developing technologies with the potential for substantial real-world impact. - Clear communicator: Able to explain complex technical challenges, document findings and communicate requirements effectively with colleagues, suppliers and external collaborators. ## Benefits - Salary: Competitive + travel allowance + bonus - Enhanced holiday pay - Pension - Life Assurance - Income Protection - Private Medical Insurance - Hospital Cash Plan - Therapy Services - Perk Box - Electric Car Scheme **Working Together – What It Involves:** - You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary. In certain cases, we can consider sponsorship, and this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. -  You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford (or be willing to relocate). - You must be eligible to work in the UK with occasional travel (1-3 trips per year). ## Apply [Apply at Ellison Institute of Technology](https://apply.workable.com/ellison-institute-of-technology/j/1D6AD592C5/apply) --- Powered by [Workable](https://www.workable.com)