Job Summary
Taproot Medical Technologies is seeking a highly skilled engineer with expertise in biomaterials design and medical device development. The successful candidate will play a key creative role in the conception, development, and commercialization of innovative clinically targeted products.
Who We Are
At Taproot Medical Technologies, we’re solving some of the most urgent challenges in healthcare with our groundbreaking polymer biomaterial platform. Join our growing team and bring truly innovative new medical devices to life. We are developing several patient-focused products including a state-of-the-art ventricular shunt, which promises to dramatically improve the lives of children with hydrocephalus, and a novel hydrogel-based cell culture platform designed to eliminate key process bottlenecks and promote more widespread adoption of curative cell-based therapies for cancer patients. Taproot is bringing these life-changing products and more to the clinic through thoughtful application of our uniquely biocompatible polymers, hydrogels, and device coatings.
Taproot headquarters is in the biotech hub of Bothell, just north of Seattle. Over the past few years, we have compiled a strong and growing patent portfolio, secured solid funding, and developed deep ties with world-renowned collaborators. Taproot offers competitive salaries, medical benefits, and significant equity participation. Taproot Medical Technologies is an equal opportunity employer.
Job Details
The successful candidate will be responsible for conducting hands-on, self-driven research and development at the bench and pilot manufacturing scales. This will involve working with zwitterionic polymers, hydrogels, elastomers, silicones, antifouling coatings, and similar technologies. The focus of this role will be on the synthesis, characterization, and GMP manufacturing development of medical devices based on novel zwitterionic biomaterials.
Key responsibilities include designing and executing experiments to advance product development goals, managing collaborative work and timelines with external partners, assisting with fabrication of GMP samples and prototypes, contributing to quality-focused activities, and maintaining effective documentation. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to contribute to patent filings, manuscripts, grant proposals and regulatory submissions.
Required qualifications
- Master’s degree or Ph.D. in relevant scientific or engineering discipline (chemical engineering, bioengineering, polymer science, chemistry, materials science) with 2+ years of industry experience or Bachelor’s degree with 4+ years of industry experience.
- Minimum of 5+ years of hands-on laboratory experience (academic or industry)
- Experience carrying out and interpreting physical and chemical analyses of small molecules, polymers, hydrogels, elastomers or medical device prototypes.
- Strong understanding of scientific principles and concepts in organic chemistry and materials science, and familiarity with the interdisciplinary areas at the interface of materials and biology.
- Strong analytical, writing, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Eager to work on a small team in a startup environment, with an appreciation of the R&D atmosphere at a small startup, including wearing many hats and being flexible with timelines and direction.
Preferred Qualifications
- Hands-on R&D experience in biomaterial-based product development or manufacturing is highly desirable: particularly involving hydrophilic or zwitterionic surface coatings, hydrogels, catheters, silicone-based products, or other implantable materials.
- Experience working in medical device product development with a proven track record of helping bring a product to market from early concept is highly desirable.
- Experience with bench- to pilot-scale processes in polymeric biomaterials development, such as cleanroom-based material synthesis and handling, viscous mixing, RF plasma activation of surfaces, extrusion/molding, coating and curing methods, lyophilization, sterilization, and packaging.
- Proficiency in analytical instrumentation and methods typical to biomaterials characterization, such as HPLC/GPC, LC-MS, NMR, FT-IR, surface analysis (XPS, SEM, etc.), fluorescent microscopy, rheology, and physical property testing.
- Familiarity with Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and working under a quality management system, including SOPs, process validation, batch records, reporting, and working in a cleanroom environment as needed.
- Experience with biocompatibility and toxicological assessments (ISO 10993) of medical materials or devices.
- Basic experience with mammalian cell culture (e.g., aseptic technique, maintaining cell lines, conducting standard cell assays for proliferation and cytotoxicity, etc.) is desirable but optional.
- Experience in technology transfer and coordination with contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs).
- Experience writing successful grant proposals, peer-reviewed literature and patent documents