Bio/Design Engineer (12 month FTC)

About UsWe are a team of passionate individuals from 15 countries, developing ground-breaking biological technologies designed to sustainably, and safely, control arthropods that transmit diseases and destroy crops. We do this work to improve lives and livelihoods around the world in the face of the growing threats that arthropods pose to human health and the global food supply.Whilst what we do relates to developing insect control technologies, our organisation is about people and in its service to people.We are strongly committed to a set of values and principles and foster a culture of trust, respect, creativity, and accountability. Click here to read about our principles, and click here to read our CEO’s blog on trust and our corporate culture.Purpose of the JobAs a Bio/Design Engineer at Oxitec, you will join an interdisciplinary team working on the research and development of our insect rearing technologies. Your primary focus will be to design, build, and test rearing equipment for our Friendly™ Cattle Tick programme. You will develop bespoke rearing systems and tools to support the delivery of project goals, as well as explore new technologies which could benefit the programme. To be a successful candidate, you will have expertise in designing small scale equipment, ideally in a biological setting, as well as practical experience and technical knowledge of fluidic or microfluidic devices. Additionally, you will have experience managing multiple work streams in parallel and communicating progress to technical and non-technical project stakeholders. You will take a hands-on approach to building and testing prototypes using in-house and external prototyping and manufacturing techniques, generating and interpreting data, and iterating design ideas.You will have a self-starting attitude, show strong organisational skills, and demonstrate original thinking and attention to detail. Excellent communication skills and an enthusiasm for Oxitec’s mission will be essential. ResponsibilitiesYour key responsibilities will include collaborating with biologists and engineers to design and prototype novel and scalable tick rearing equipment in a timely manner. You will actively gather specifications and feedback to refine these solutions to ensure optimal and cost-effective performance. You will use a range of techniques to solve complex bioengineering challenges, adopting an open-minded and creative approach.Additionally, you will continuously explore emerging technologies to enhance existing processes and drive innovation. Your contributions will directly impact the rearing success, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness within the Cattle Tick programme.Working under the guidance of a Group Lead, you will: Design, prototype, and test, novel apparatus for artificial tick rearing.Take an “insect first” approach to developing equipment and processes.Build strong working relationships with the engineering and tick rearing teams, ensuring open and responsive communication regarding design ideas, outcomes of experiments, and planning.Report data in meetings throughout the teams, to audiences with various technical knowledge, and write clear and concise reports for internal and external review.Have a clear understanding of the commercial and socioeconomic impact of the work and responsibilities and strive to optimise performance.Support the team’s compliance to established equipment and procedures in line with regulations and health and safety.Work fully on site and travel to other Oxitec sites (Edinburgh, Scotland) as required, and depending on project needs. Skills, Experience, and Education RequirementsStrong engineering background with experience with iterative design, and novel problem solving is essential.A bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. mechanical engineering, bioengineering, design engineering, product engineering) or associated industry experience is essential.Competency with hand and power tools and workshop experience is essential.Competency with CAD modelling in SolidWorks (or similar) is essential.Previous experience working in an R&D environment is desirable.Experience operating and troubleshooting FDM and SLA 3D printers is desirable.Practical experience developing microfluidic systems is desirable.A good understanding biological and biocompatible materials is desirable.Excellent written and oral communication is essential to communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders including junior and senior staff members of all disciplines.Track record of scientific diligence including valuing careful generation and recording of data.Strong attention to detail, with excellent timekeeping standards and responsiveness. Behavioural RequirementsCommitted to and passionate about the Oxitec mission and values.Diligent and organised.Comfortable working independently and within a team.Adaptable and flexible, thriving and being resilient in an environment of change and ambiguity.Responsive to the needs of an international business working across different time zones, adapting working patterns in-line with business requirements.Decisive and assertive with a driven and proactive approach.Positive, humble, co-operative and professional.Works with a sense of urgency and solves things promptly.Resilient and persistent in an innovative and constantly changing environment.Empathetic, with the ability to build effective relationships quickly.A team player who believes the success of us all depends on us working together.