Microfluidic Chip Manufacturing Engineer

We are looking for a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer to own the physical realization of Rivercell's microfluidic chip, from the technical sourcing of glass substrates and precision-machined components through assembly, quality control, and small-scale production.

You will translate the chip architecture into a reliable supply chain and a repeatable manufacturing process. You will work directly at the bench while building the supplier network, tooling, documentation, process controls, and production methods required to manufacture up to 500 chips per year.

You will work hand-in-hand with our Lead Microfluidic Chip Engineer, Thin-Film Materials Engineer, Surface Engineering Scientist, Characterization Engineer, Microfluidics & Biofluids Engineer, and Assembly Technician, as well as 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.

• Own the chip manufacturing and packaging architecture, including glass substrates and covers, spacers, chamber geometry, drilled holes, fluidic ports, electrical contacts, sealing interfaces, and mechanical features

• Develop the manufacturing roadmap from manual prototype builds to a robust semi-automated small-scale production process, improving yield, cycle time, cost, capacity, and reproducibility

• Define technical specifications for glass components. Identify, select, and qualify suppliers for glass components and processing

• Develop repeatable assembly and packaging processes for early devices, including alignment, spacer placement, bonding, sealing, fluidic interconnection, electrical contacting, sterilization and final inspection

• Select and qualify adhesives, gaskets, spacer materials, bonding methods, and packaging components compatible with thin films, fluoropolymer surfaces, biological media, optics, and high-voltage operation

• Design jigs, fixtures, alignment tools, error-proofing features that improve accuracy, repeatability, throughput, and operator ergonomics

• Define and control critical tolerances such as chamber height, substrate parallelism, lateral alignment, hole and port position, bond-line thickness, fluidic volume, and electrical-contact geometry

• Establish incoming, in-process, and final quality controls for substrates, machined components, assembled chips, leaks, dimensional conformity, cleanliness, and cosmetic or functional defects

• Create and maintain the bill of materials, approved supplier list, batch records, traceability system, inspection methods, and acceptance criteria

• Lead failure analysis for leaks, delamination, cracked or warped glass, drilling defects, particle contamination, misalignment, poor electrical contact, chamber-height variation, and assembly-induced damage

• Recruit, train and supervise assembly technicians on standard processes, quality requirements, equipment, documentation, and safe handling of fragile or coated components

• 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

You have an engineering degree or equivalent advanced degree in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, microengineering, materials engineering, precision engineering, microfluidics, or a related field. You have 4+ years of relevant experience in precision-component manufacturing, supplier development, microfluidic or MEMS packaging, laboratory-device production, or manufacturing-process development. You are comfortable moving between engineering drawings, supplier discussions, incoming inspection, process development, and hands-on assembly in the laboratory. You combine strong technical judgment with a pragmatic approach to solving sourcing, manufacturing, quality, and assembly problems. You are autonomous, committed, enthusiastic, and comfortable working with a can-do, creative, and challenging mindset. You are rigorous in documentation, tolerance management, experimental design, 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:Technical sourcing and qualification of precision glass, ceramic, silicon, polymer, or coated componentsGlass cutting, dicing, drilling, laser or ultrasonic machining, sandblasting, polishing, cleaning, or dimensional inspectionPrecision assembly, alignment, bonding, dispensing, sealing, leak testing, and visual inspectionSupplier qualification, incoming quality control, non-conformance management, and design for manufacturabilityDevelopment of fixtures, jigs, tolerance stacks, process controls, work instructions, and traceability systemsTransition from manual prototypes to pilot-line or small-scale productionPlease let us know in your application if you specifically have experience with one or several of the following:Borosilicate glass, fused silica, ITO-coated glass, display substrates, optical windows, wafers, or other fragile precision substratesMicrofluidic cartridges, lab-on-chip devices, MEMS packaging, or diagnostic consumablesUV-curable adhesives, pressure-sensitive adhesives, thermal or plasma-assisted bonding, laser-cut spacers, gaskets, or precision dispensingDimensional metrology for flatness, hole position, alignment, chamber height, and bond-line thicknessDevelopment or operation of pilot-line, semi-automated, or outsourced manufacturing processes