Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

We are seeking a full-time Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to work with the Engineered Biotechnology Research Group led by Prof Harrison Steel at the Department of Engineering Science in central Oxford.  The role is fixed-term until 25 September 2025, with possibility of extension, subject to confirmed additional funding.

This position is part of the Defeating Antibiotic Resistance through Transformative Solutions (DARTS) project, which was recently funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and announced as a major new initiative in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) by US President Biden. The project seeks to deliver transformative technologies linking biotechnology, robotics, and automation to make a major step forward in the global fight against AMR.

 As part of the DARTS project team, this role will focus on the design, maturation, and scale-up of robotic platforms for screening and analysis of antibiotic resistant bacteria. This will require experience of interdisciplinary Engineering design (e.g. combining aspects of Mechanical, Electrical, Bio/Chemical Engineering), as well as laboratory prototyping and manufacture experience. As a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, you will co-lead the development of these tools toward robust, user-friendly instruments that can be rapidly deployed to answer clinical questions and ultimately save lives.

The work of the Senior Mechanical Design Engineer will be varied and challenging, bridging engineering and research disciplines while also interfacing with academic, clinical, and industrial users of technologies developed. You will work as part of an interdisciplinary team including experienced postdoctoral researchers, doctoral students, and the international DARTS team. There will be opportunities to travel internationally, collaborate with start-up companies and health-care professionals, and rapidly translate technologies you develop to enable future clinical technologies that support the global fight against AMR.

You should hold a degree in a relevant Engineering field, or have equivalent experience, followed by at least two years’ experience in an engineering design/development role. Proficiency in mechanical and electrical engineering as well as experience in designing complex instruments and devices, using CAD design tools for tasks such as mechanical design (e.g. Solidworks) or PCB/circuit design (e.g. Eagle CAD/Altium), and familiarity with programming in Python or similar languages are essential. You should be willing to travel to site of project collaborators in Boston, USA, typically for one to two weeks.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Harrison Steel (email: harrison.steel@eng.ox.ac.uk)

For more information about working at the Department, see www.eng.ox.ac.uk/about/work-with-us/

Only online applications received before midday on Wednesday, 3 January 2024 can be considered. You will be required to upload a covering letter/supporting statement (including a brief description of how your experience fits the advertised position), a CV, and the details of two referees as part of your online application.

The Department holds an Athena Swan Bronze award, highlighting its commitment to promoting women in Science, Engineering and Technology.

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