System Engineer (Lab) — Generalist, Customer-Facing

Type: Full-time Reports to: Founder, R&D Leader Who we're looking for A recent or soon-to-be MSc, MTech, or PhD graduate who'd rather bring a working idea to the table than wait for the "correct" one. You've spent time at the bench, you're comfortable with instrumentation, code, or a spreadsheet, and you like figuring things out alongside other people rather than in isolation.

You're not looking for a rulebook — you're looking for a hard problem and a team to solve it with. You want your work to reach real patients, real casework, real customers, not just a paper. This is not a narrow role. You'll move between the bench, the systems that support it, and the people who depend on it working.

What you'll do

Develop and validate low-cost assays and lab workflows — spanning applications from forensic DNA casework to diagnostic tests for cancer and rare diseases — designed to work reliably outside well-resourced labs. Build and troubleshoot the systems around the science: instrumentation, robotics, automation, data pipelines, and the practical engineering that makes a bench protocol into a repeatable product.

Design, build, and maintain robotic and automated systems — liquid handlers, custom rigs, sensor-driven workflows — including autonomous systems that can sense, decide, and act with minimal human intervention. Work directly with customers and partners to understand their constraints, translate their problems into technical requirements, and support them through deployment and troubleshooting.

Operate with limited resources by design — you'll be expected to prototype with what's available, iterate fast, and find the cheaper, simpler path before reaching for the expensive one. Take ownership across the full arc of a problem: from early bench experiments through to a working solution in a customer's hands. Document rigorously enough that what you build can be trusted, repeated, and handed off — this is diagnostic and forensic work, where "it worked for me" isn't good enough.

Nice to have

Experience with diagnostic assay development, forensic genomics, or clinical/CLIA-adjacent workflows. Experience building autonomous or semi-autonomous systems — closed-loop control, sensor fusion, or decision-making pipelines. Contributions to open-source projects (lab automation, robotics, or bioinformatics tooling especially relevant).

Startup or small-team experience where you had to do more than your job title suggested. Why this role? You'll work on problems that go straight from the bench to a person who needed the answer — a forensic case, a cancer diagnosis, a rare disease that finally gets identified. Small team, real stakes, and the freedom to build the solution your way when the standard playbook doesn't fit the budget.

Requirements

What you bring MSc, MTech, or PhD in molecular biology, biomedical/genetic engineering, robotics, mechatronics, biotechnology, or a related field — or equivalent hands-on experience. Real bench experience: molecular biology techniques (PCR, sequencing, extraction, assay development, or similar), not just coursework. Hands-on experience with lab robotics and automation — liquid handling systems, custom hardware rigs, or sensor/actuator-driven workflows.

Working knowledge of Python (the standard for lab automation —Hamilton Venus and Tecan EVO, SiLA2-style device integrations, LIMS/data pipelines); C/C++ for firmware or hardware control is a strong plus; exposure to ROS (Robot Operating System) is a plus if you've built or contributed to autonomous systems. Comfort working across disciplines — willing to pick up systems/software/robotics skills where needed rather than staying in one lane.

Familiarity with open-source development practices and an active GitHub presence — we want to see how you build, not just hear about it. A track record of proposing and iterating on solutions rather than executing a fixed playbook — comfortable being wrong on the way to being useful. Strong problem-solving instincts under real constraints: limited budget, limited equipment, limited time.

Genuine enjoyment of collaborative problem-solving: building on other people's half-formed ideas, and offering your own the same way. Genuine interest in customer-facing work — explaining, listening, and adapting the solution to what the customer actually needs. Show us how you think Skip the cover letter. Instead, give us one example of a real problem you've solved recently — at the bench, in the field, in code, wherever.

In 300 words or less, tell us: What the problem was How you solved it If you had to solve it again today, what you would do differently. We're not grading for polish — we're looking for how you actually approach a hard problem, and whether you're honest about what you'd change. Submissions over 300 words will not be reviewed.

Submit your application, including this example on https://jobs.biosecureid.com/jobs/Careers Benefits What we offer to candidates completing their probation period (3 months): Equity: a real stake in what you help build, not just a paycheck. Ownership from day one - you'll lead real projects, not shadow someone else's.

Support for your professional record: time and backing to publish papers, file patents, or co-author inventions that come out of your work here. Room to build in the open — we encourage contributions to open-source tools, and we'll credit the people behind the work, not just the company. A genuine learning budget — courses, certifications, conferences, whatever helps you get better at the problem in front of you.

Flexibility — flexible hours and hybrid/remote arrangements wherever the lab work allows it. Honest, generous time off — and transparency about where the company stands, so trust isn't something we ask you to take on faith. Health insurance — because good work shouldn't come at the cost of your health. Proximity to impact — your work reaches an actual forensic case, an actual diagnosis and preventing future pandemics.