Sr. Staff MEMS Engineer

At Berkeley Lights, we help scientists around the world find the biology that cures disease. We do this through our propriety system technology that screen thousands of live single cells in parallel for use in various applications including antibody discovery, cell line development, T-cell analysis, and synthetic biology. So, what does this mean for our customers in the biopharma, CRO/CDMO and academic space? It means the capabilities we have developed represent a technological leap in high-throughput screening and can be used to unlock new insights in functional biology research and dramatically accelerate therapeutic discovery, development, and manufacturing from hours or days—not weeks or months.

Being a part of Berkeley Lights means being a part of the biology revolution we are living in. You will help create outcomes for enabling better human health. We do this through being innovative, customer centric and committed to quality in all we do. We seek out others to join our team who are passionate, highly collaborative and dedicated to deliver that next technology breakthrough.

We welcome you to consider joining us on this incredible journey.

As a Sr. Staff MEMS Engineer , you will drive the research and development (R&D) of new Opto-Electro-Positioning (OEP) microfluidic consumables. Berkeley Lights (BLI) OEP consumables are single-use microfluidic chips with a proprietary semiconductor substrate that enables the manipulation of biological cells using optically actuated dielectrophoresis. Automated biological workflows are run on OEP consumables using BLI instruments for applications such as: cell line development, antibody discovery, genomics, synthetic biology, and cellular therapeutics. You will be the technical lead for all components and assembly processes used to fabricate BLI OEP microfluidic consumables. You will also drive next-generation fabrication and back-end assembly processes for OEP consumables as we expand and scale the production of consumable products.

We are looking for a results-oriented engineer to lead R&D activities for BLI’s OEP consumables. The ideal candidate will have a background in semiconductor back-end processing with hands-on experience developing assembly and fabrication processes. The Sr. Staff Engineer will work closely with multi-disciplinary internal teams and suppliers to drive R&D and deliver new OEP consumables.

Responsibilities:

• Manage R&D programs for next-generation OEP consumables from concept to high-volume production.
• Serve as the technical lead for the design and performance of all components used in the fabrication of OEP consumables, which include: OEP silicon substrates; photo-patternable materials; optically transparent, conductive materials; printed circuit boards; electronic interconnect materials; and adhesives for final assembly.
• Drive the design of new consumables and develop robust fabrication and assembly processes to meet product requirements in collaboration with internal teams. Recommend the best processes for scale-up from R&D to production. Work with the Consumables Manufacturing and Supply Chain teams to implement those processes.
• Lead R&D efforts to improve the manufacturability, yield, and reliability of BLI consumables. Collaborate with the Manufacturing team on cost reduction and capacity expansion efforts as we scale.
•  Work closely with suppliers to test new fabrication and assembly processes and to scale those processes to meet specifications. Assist the Supply Chain team with selecting and qualifying new suppliers.
• Become the resident expert for all processes used to design and fabricate OEP consumables such as: OEP silicon fabrication, polymer patterning using photolithography, photomask design, bonding processes, metal deposition, plasma processes, dicing, glass drilling, adhesive dispensing and curing, and quality control (QC) metrologies.
• Characterize and test new consumables once they are fabricated, which will occasionally require running functional tests on BLI platforms using relevant workflows.
• Conduct feasibility studies for new consumable designs and fabrication processes in the laboratory and in local cleanroom facilities as needed.
• Support the failure analysis of OEP consumables that do not meet performance and reliability specifications. This includes working with external laboratories to complete the appropriate analyses.

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Materials Science and Engineering. An excellent academic record is a strong plus.
• 2+ years of experience with semiconductor back-end processing and manufacturing. Experience with semiconductor front-end processing is a plus.
• Experience managing suppliers for semiconductor processing and package assembly materials.
• Experience with the design and fabrication of microfluidic devices – particularly bonding and assembly processes.
• Data-driven, proficient with design of experiments (DOE), statistical analysis, statistical process control (SPC), failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), and structured problem solving.
• Technology transfer experience, i.e., transferring designs and processes from R&D to production facilities at suppliers.
• Knowledge of characterization techniques for semiconductors and microfluidic devices. Experience with failure analysis is a plus.
• Experience working in a semiconductor fabrication cleanroom.
• R&D experience developing consumables for life sciences.
• An understanding of microfluidic physical phenomena.
• Proficiency with drafting software to generate photomask layouts.
• Ability to thrive in a start-up company with demanding schedules and deliverables.
• Outstanding collaborative, interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills to clearly articulate ideas, problems, and solutions within a highly interdisciplinary environment.
• Travel may be required for supplier visits (< 10%).

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