Mechatronics Engineer

Only UK/EU candidates will be considered for this role.

Summary

CyanoCapture is a VC-backed biotech company from the University of Oxford, using the forefront of bioengineering for carbon capture. The company is using a recently discovered fast-growing photosynthetic bacteria that can rapidly absorb CO2 and convert this into organic compounds of interest. CyanoCapture is looking to scale-up its proof-of-concept work to pilot trials in the UK, United Arab Emirates and Portugal in 2025. The first-of-a-kind technology has been backed by Shell, Elon Musk's XPRIZE and Innovate UK, alongside a number of VCs and private investors.

After winning a $4 million grant from Horizon Europe, CyanoCapture is leading a consortium of 11 institutions to launch a first-of-a-kind pilot project in Portugal next year which will demonstrate the conversion of CO2 from flue gases into biocrude oil using CyanoCapture's proprietary fast-growing strains.

As the company is looking towards commercialisation in parallel to its final stages of technological development, we are seeking an ambitious individual to join the company as a Mechatronics Engineer to build novel lab innovations for the cultivation and high throughput screening of genetically engineered photosynthetic microbes.

Join a fast-moving team

Awards: L'Oreal 12 month partnership (2025), $4 million EU Horizon (2024), £400,000+ Innovate UK awards (2022 - 2023), $100,000 Shell New Energy Challenge (2022), $250,000 Elon Musk XPRIZE (2021), University of Oxford All Innovate (2021).

Media: The company has received traction from the Oil & Gas sector and press coverage from media outlets including, Sifted covering our recent work in the United Arab Emirates, The Guardian and the BBC. The Horizon project ($4 million) was awarded to a consortium of 11 institutions in Europe led by CyanoCapture, to fund the launch of a 50 T CO2/year biogenic carbon capture and biocrude production system in Portugal which will operate for a period of three years (2023 – 2027).

Job Description

CyanoCapture is looking for a Research/Mechatronics Engineer to design, build, upgrade and manage lab-scale and mid scale photobioreactors, and associated control, measurement and data systems.

Whilst primarily focused on our internal capabilities, the successful candidate will consider how to transfer learnings from lab-scale equipment and assessments to large scale operational environments, across a broad range of disciplines from the physical systems to the biological performance, interfacing with scale-up partners to rapidly deploy climate-positive biomanufacturing technologies.

The role will suit a highly motivated and driven individual, who can manage multiple projects from inception to delivery. A first-principles mindset will allow the candidate to identify critical assumptions that drive the technology, and use that knowledge to accelerate our rate of development to deliver a new paradigm in photosynthetic biomanufacturing.

Our scientists and engineers are encouraged to spend a proportion of their time engaged with the wider context of their work. For example in this role suitable extensions may be to contribute to synthetic biology workflows and strain optimisation, to support or enable high throughput strain engineering, or to contribute to scaled-up photosynthetic or fermentation projects

We will consider candidates with experience levels ranging from recent graduates in a suitable discipline, through to seasoned industry veterans. The role will be hands-on, full time and based at our Oxford laboratories.

Essential skills and experience:

• Relevant Bachelors, Masters, PhD or industry experience
• Mechatronics and microcontrollers (STM32,ESP32,Arduino)
• Software development (C++, Python)
• Prototyping experience
• CAD design experience (e.g. Fusion, SolidWorks, AutoCad)

Desirable:

• PCB design (Altium, Fusion, Kicad)
• Version control (git) experience (Github etc.)
• Experience with Optical and/or Gas sensors
• Mechanical engineering experience
• Control systems design
• Backend software development
• Iterative development
• Model based engineering (PFD or other modelling tools)
• Technoeconomic modelling and life cycle analysis

Compensation

Competitive salary + incentive structures.

Travel

You may be offered opportunities to travel abroad for short durations for business, presenting research at conferences or working on pilot projects.

All candidates submitting a CV and cover letter, regardless of experience level or age, will be considered for this role.