Sr Staff Engineer - Fluidic Systems Research Lead

Job Description

The Senior Staff Engineer role in Fluidic Systems is part of the Illumina product development team creating new industry-leading genetic analysis platforms for life sciences and clinical markets. You will work in an interdisciplinary team environment to develop industry-leading genetic analysis instrumentation and device products. This role will be the research team lead for developing fluidics systems for Illumina’s future product portfolio.

Primary responsibilities of this position include fluidic and microfluidics architecture innovation, design implementation, metrology development, recipe/workflow optimization, and systems integration in both integrated consumables and instruments utilizing novel reagents and chemistry. Direct experience and understanding of two-phase flow physics will be fundamental to this role. The candidate should be highly motivated to work cross-functionally in the ecosystem of fluidics, optics, precision motion, and biochemistry, and embrace role changes throughout the whole product development process from early research and conceptualization to commercialization and manufacturing transfer. The candidate should be capable of leading functional initiatives or project teams to achieve milestones and targets.

Responsibilities:

• Lead innovation of fluidic architecture design and down selection to meet system-level requirements and specifications
• Drive design implementation of fluidic ecosystem with optimal engineering tradeoffs
• Drive critical parameter management and risk management process to achieve high robustness, reliability, and lifetime performance
• Work in a multidisciplinary team to bridge fluidic performance to data quality, output, and turnaround time through performance models and budget
• Provide engineering judgement calls with limited data
• Lead cross-functional technical teams to troubleshoot complex fluidic system issues, develop metrology tools, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions
• Lead the selection and qualification of critical suppliers/partners for both prototyping and manufacturing
• Lead functional initiatives to cultivate fluidics engineer best practice in the organization

Education and Experience:

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering, Systems Engineering or related field with 6+ years of industry experience in fluid systems design with a full product development cycle from conceptualization to volume manufacturing, or…
• BS or MS with 12+ years industry experience
• Proven track record of minimum one full product development learning cycle from conceptualization to commercialization and manufacturing ramp up

Requirements:

• Experience in the development of innovative fluidic and microfluidic systems or components for commercial products
• Deep understanding of first-principal physics and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses to characterize fluid flows to guide design and implementation
• Previous experience working with two-phase flow regimes in microfluidics environment
• Experience in characterization and testing complex fluidic systems, including design of experiments and root cause analyses, with a track record of leading an investigation team to drive to resolutions
• Good understanding of critical parameter management workflow and risk management process
• Experience in supplier management, familiar with the process of SOW, RFP, and RFQ
• Experience in reliability test design and protocol
• Strong statistical analysis skills, using tools such as Excel and JMP to interpret and visualize data
• Demonstrated leadership ability to work collaboratively across disciplines
• Excellent oral and written communication/presentation skills
• Experience in development of biomedical instrument or device is a plus

The estimated base salary range for the Sr Staff Engineer - Fluidic Systems Research Lead role based in the United States of America is: $136,100 - $204,100. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable salary range may be updated accordingly. Compensation decisions are dependent on several factors including, but not limited to, an individual’s qualifications, location where the role is to be performed, internal equity, and alignment with market data. Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package. We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off.

At Illumina, we strive to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace by cultivating an environment in which everyone contributes to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always been rooted in openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative views and perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and demonstrate our collective commitment to diversity and inclusion in the communities we live and work. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information.