Senior Scientist (f/m/d) Surface Chemistry Materials Science
Nanogami, Germany

Nanogami is a highly innovative and rapidly growing startup in the field of DNA Origami-based nanotechnology(check out ourDLD Talkor thisarticleto learn more).Our international team is driven by a shared vision: to pioneer a novel generation of biochips set to unlock applications in research and diagnostics and thereby pushing the boundaries of personalised medicine to new heights.We recently secured significant funding by SPRIND - Germany’s Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation to realize our ambitious growth trajectory and now aim to significantly expand our current team to support the at-scale commercialisation of our nanotechnology.

The role entails spearheading Ramp;D projects requiring deep expertise in surface coating, with a focus on surface chemistry, polymer fabrication, passivation, antifouling on chip surfaces, and bioconjugation of nucleic acids and enzymes. Candidates must possess a thorough understanding of surface coating and characterization techniques. A key responsibility of this role is to guide nanotechnology projects from their initial proof-of-concept and prototyping stages through to successful manufacturing at commercial scales.

Candidates with prior experience in managing Ramp;D teams and substantial budgets will be preferred, although consideration will be given to those without prior management experience who display a pronounced interest and capability in team leadership and the oversight of substantial Ramp;D budgets and personnel.

• Develop and optimize surface chemistry strategies and surface coating protocols for biofunctionalization, passivation, and antifouling of glass/silicon/polymer surfaces.
• Characterize surface coatings such as polymers, self-assembled monolayers, and/or hydrogels, based on composition, morphology, and functionality.
• Work collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and engineers to evaluate and optimize system-level performance.
• Explore new materials and methods for achieving performance improvements.
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams and external partners for transfer to production.
• Manage substantial Ramp;D budgets at a high level of autonomy.
• Design and lead a team of scientists capable of delivering surface coating projects from ideation throughout commercialization.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or equivalent experience in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Chemistry, or a related field.

• Extensive industrial experience (5+ years) in Surface Modification amp; Polymer Chemistry; ideally with experience and expertise in Ramp;D as well as design deployment of commercially viable manufacturing processes for microfluidic bio- or medtech devices.
• Deep domain knowledge in surface chemistry and functional relationship between polymer structure and surface properties, with demonstrated experience in developing surface coating technologies towards commercially viable production.
• Expertise in flat surface functionalization (e.g. surface-initiated polymerizations, etching, patterning, dry amp; wet chemistries) for reagent immobilization and passivation against protein fouling.
• Experience with analytical methods, especially sensitive techniques for thin surface coatings (e.g. SE, AFM, SPR, XPS, GPC).
• Demonstrated leadership skills and proactive, results-oriented working style; strong preference for candidates with experience in management of Ramp;D teams and projects (incl. Ramp;D budget).
• Fluent in English.

• Experience with
• Process optimization and process transfer from Ramp;D into manufacturing
• Surface coatings on wafers/chips
• Experience with single-molecule assays
• Demonstrated experience in team management, budget responsibility and organizational development.
• Candidates who show enthusiasm for building and scaling a team and are excited about the possibility to take on significant management responsibilities.

Benefits

• Diverse and challenging tasks in a ground-breaking technology

• Interdisciplinary, highly driven and international team
• Possibility to quickly take on significant budget and leadership responsibilities
• Competitive compensation
• Flexible working models

Job Rewards and Benefits