Senior​/Principal Systems Engineer - R&D

The Opportunity

Culture Biosciences is looking for a Staff/ Senior Staff/ Principal Systems Engineer in R&D as the technical authority for end-to-end system design and integration of complex, cross-disciplinary platforms. The candidate will translate Business Needs into R&D objectives and system architectures. They define interfaces and requirements, and lead integration and verification strategy from prototype through pre-production readiness. This role resolves the hardest technical tradeoffs, drives technical alignment across teams, and raises the organization’s systems engineering bar through mentorship and standards.

The candidate must have a strong and experienced background in Bioprocessing, Bioreactor design, and applications and have a breadth of understanding of Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Embedded, and Software).

• Requirements & interface leadership:
  Establish User Needs, System Requirements, and traceability to verification and validation (clear, testable, version-controlled).
• System architecture ownership:
  Define the end-to-end architecture, subsystem boundaries, and interfaces across mechanical, electrical, firmware/software, controls, and test.
• Integration strategy:
  Build the integration plan (bring-up sequencing, dependency mapping, integration test strategy) and lead cross-functional execution through integration milestones.
• Technical tradeoff studies:
  Lead tradeoffs of performance, reliability, safety, cost, manufacturability, and document decisions, assumptions, and risks.
• Verification strategy in R&D:
  Define verification intent early (what 'works' means), build coverage plans, and ensure prototypes generate evidence—not just demos.
• Validation strategy for end use:
  Assist with Validation development and help establish plans that relate to User Needs. Interface with Application teams and Early Adopters in validating their workflows.
• Complex debugging & Root Cause Analysis:
  Drive root-cause across subsystems; implement corrective actions and regression prevention (design changes, test additions, process updates).
• Design review leadership:
  Lead system-level design reviews and readiness gates around architecture, integration readiness and verification readiness.
• Standards & mentorship:
  Create templates/best practices and mentor other systems engineers and tech leads.
• Partner with operations early:
  Influence DFM/DFT and serviceability decisions early enough to avoid late redesign. Assist with production test plans and production workflows.
• Vendor management:
  Work directly with vendors to drive technology, understand design needs, and verify 3rd party integrated technology.
• Partner with Commercial/Sales:
  Stay abreast of competitive technologies, Win/Loss reports and overall customer needs to help define future developments for the business.

• Advanced degree (Masters or PhD preferred) in Bioengineering, Chemistry, Biology, or a related field.
• 15+ years of Industry experience with 10+ years in the biopharma, biotech, or life science field.
• Significant experience architecting and integrating complex R&D systems (multi-disciplinary: hardware + software/controls + test).
• Strong track record of leading cross-functional technical decisions and delivering integrated prototypes that meet defined acceptance criteria.
• Expert ability to write concise system requirements and define interfaces that reduce integration churn.
• Deep hands-on troubleshooting capability in lab environments with instrumentation, data-driven debugging, and structured RCA.
• Broad experience with software, writing scripts (Python) and using CAD tools to evaluate mechanical and electrical designs.
• Involved or leading multiple products and design releases to Manufacturing using both internal and external Contract Manufacturers.

• Experience with ambiguity-heavy programs: rapid prototyping, evolving requirements, and parallel exploration.
• Comfort with requirements/configuration discipline without over-bureaucratizing early-stage R&D.
• You’re excited to work in a small, cross-functional team in a fast-paced environment; rolling up your sleeves and doing whatever it takes to get the job…