Mechanical Engineer

at  Unicorn Biotechnologies

WANTED: MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Anticipated start date: As soon as possible
Closing Date: 5th February, 2025
Salary Band: £35k - £55k (depending on experience)
Full Time, Sheffield, UK
Do you want to utilise your skills to make a real-world impact working at the forefront of the most impactful industry of the 21st century? Do you love building and have a passion for biotechnology? Are you a natural-born systems thinker who thrives working across all stages of engineered device development and collaborating closely with R&D scientists?
We seek a driven and enthusiastic engineer to help us design, prototype, and manufacture our bioproduction instruments. You will work on all aspects of our R&D - from rapid prototyping of subsystem concepts to DFM and taking an instrument through to client delivery. Ultimately, your work will help us fulfill our ambition to be one of the largest biotech companies in the world (we think and go for big).
You are a self-starter with a deep understanding of mechanical and systems engineering and the ability to rapidly apply your knowledge to new industrial applications (e.g., laboratory automation and bioproduction instrumentation). You thrive in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple parallel projects with tight deadlines while operating with high degrees of autonomy, and have a background in mechanical engineering and electromechanical system development.

ABOUT US

Unicorn Biotechnologies develops intelligent machines (physical AI) to automate biology. Our first system, Emmet, standardises, streamlines, and scales the production of any mammalian cell culture process, both helping scientists accelerate their pace of experimental discovery and removing technical and economic barriers to scaling transformative innovations (cell therapies, regenerative medicines, cultivated meat, etc.) to mass markets. Backed by leading transatlantic VCs, we aim to ensure all people live healthier, longer lives on planet Earth, and beyond.

You will play a leading role in a growing engineering team, designing, building, testing, and developing novel bioproduction systems. You will be directly involved in the entire product development cycle, from understanding user requirements to delivering prototypes and, ultimately, manufacturable designs.
You must be comfortable operating with uncertainty and upskilling to meet new challenges. The startup journey is not easy, nor for the faint of heart. You must see this challenge as invigorating rather than intimidating. Your work will be exciting, and the learning opportunities will be significant. Expect to expand your skill set more in a year than many do in five years.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operational oversight of device development projects (systems, mechanical subsystems, etc.), including technical progress and regulatory compliance.
• Working on developing our overall mechanical and technical approaches and collaborating with our biology team to facilitate interdisciplinary innovation.
• Prototyping designs in our workshop to rapidly test concepts and coordinate with suppliers, manufacturing partners, and clients.