Staff Process Engineer, Nanofabrication

At Nautilus, we have a big and important mission: improve the health of millions by unleashing the potential of the proteome to accelerate drug development and enable a new world of precision and personalized medicine. We are developing a single-molecule protein analysis platform of unprecedented sensitivity, scale, and ease of use that we believe will democratize access to the proteome – one of the most dynamic and valuable sources of biological insight. To accomplish this, we are pursuing hard scientific problems with an entrepreneurial mindset and creating a world-class team of builders, innovators, and dreamers across a wide range of disciplines. 

We are seeking a Staff Process Engineer, Nanofabrication to lead the development and scaling of advanced nanofabrication processes for next-generation biotech devices. You will be a technical thought leader responsible for designing and optimizing fabrication workflows that directly impact our groundbreaking proteomics platform. This role requires deep technical expertise, strategic thinking, and collaboration with cross-functional teams, vendors, and foundries to achieve high-yield, manufacturable processes. You’ll not only execute critical work hands-on but also mentor other engineers and shape the direction of nanofabrication at Nautilus. 

Responsibilities 

• Provide technical leadership and vision for nanofabrication processes for microfluidic and biosensing devices. 

• Design, develop, and implement novel fabrication techniques across photolithography, etching, deposition, bonding, and packaging. 

• Lead cleanroom process development efforts to improve manufacturability, repeatability, and device performance at scale. 

• Drive process characterization strategies using SEM, TEM, AFM, profilometry, and other advanced metrology tools. 

• Collaborate with internal R&D, product development, and reliability teams to ensure successful integration of nanofabrication processes into product roadmaps. 

• Partner with external foundries and vendors to guide technology transfer, pilot runs, and scale-up activities. 

• Develop and apply statistical process control (SPC), design of experiments (DOE), and other methodologies to optimize fabrication processes for yield, cost, and performance. 

• Author and review process documentation, protocols, and test plans to support robust transfer to manufacturing and compliance with ISO and GMP (as applicable). 

• Mentor junior engineers and technicians, contributing to team knowledge and capability building. 

Qualifications 

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in nanofabrication, semiconductor processing, or microfabrication, with proven leadership in process development and scaling. 

• Expert-level knowledge in photolithography and cleanroom operations, including resist coating, DRIE, lift-off, and thin-film processes. 

• Demonstrated experience in microfluidic, MEMS, biosensor, or biomedical device fabrication. 

• Track record of successfully developing and transferring fabrication processes into production or external manufacturing partners. 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with fluency in data-driven process optimization methods (SPC, DOE, JMP, etc.). 

• Effective communicator with strong project management skills and the ability to influence across disciplines. 

• Experience driving cross-functional collaboration between engineering, biology, chemistry, and manufacturing teams. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Familiarity with biocompatible materials and surface chemistries for biosensing or biological integration. 

• Experience in bonding and assembly techniques for flowcells or microfluidic devices. 

• Knowledge of ISO 13485, GMP, and biotech manufacturing quality systems. 

• Background in integrating biomolecule patterning, cell culture substrates, or bioMEMS devices into functional systems. 

Nautilus Team Culture 

• We are determined to do whatever it takes to get our platform into the hands of researchers who will use it to upend the status quo in basic research and healthcare. 

• We work on cross-functional teams, wear many hats, take risks to work through uncertainty, enjoy working collaboratively on challenging problems, and celebrate one another’s victories. 

• We go above and beyond, but also strive to provide a supportive atmosphere of colleagues who are willing to lend a helping hand and make working at Nautilus not only fulfilling in its end goals, but enjoyable on a day-to-day basis.