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.

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