Senior Research Associate - Traverso Lab

Location

Cambridge, MA

Ref #

43972

Job Family

Research

Workplace

On-Site

Date published

04/02/2026

Time Type

Full time

Pay Range

$81,000.00/yr - $113,000.00/yr

The Senior Research Associate will work within the fabrication team at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, which includes mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, imaging specialists, and micro/nanofabrication experts. Work will encompass the design, fabrication, and testing of medical devices, with a strong emphasis on novel drug delivery systems. This includes hands-on microfabrication, 3D printing (SLA and FDM), CNC milling, injection molding, laser micromachining, and other fabrication/testing methods.

Responsibilities

• Work independently to design prototype medical devices and drug delivery systems
• Operate and maintain mechanical fabrication/testing equipment
• Formulate and perform chemical and mechanical characterization of various materials for drug delivery systems
• Execute statistical analysis of experiments with a high degree of confidence
• Summarize and present research results and findings at weekly meetings
• Lead project planning and coordination across multiple device development programs, ensuring timelines and deliverables are met
• Oversee training and onboarding of new team members in fabrication, safety protocols, and experimental best practices
• Develop and implement advanced fabrication workflows, integrating new manufacturing technologies into lab processes
• Support publication preparation with technical input, design schematics, and preliminary data generation
• Presents monthly updates to our senior leadership and program sponsors
• Act as a resource for the L4TE team in all aspects of microfabrication
• Frequently conduct scientific literature searches in preparation for new projects

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Pursuing a research position post-graduation from an M.S., or equivalent, in mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, or a related field
• 5+ years of relevant experience.
• An ideal candidate will have a research background in biomedical engineering as well as hands-on experience/rapid prototyping skills, but training to gain further skills will be available.

Candidates with relevant experience in the following areas are encouraged to apply:

• Research background in biomedical engineering and hands-on prototyping skills
• CAD/CAM proficiency (SolidWorks or Fusion360)
• Biomedical device design and development experience
• Material characterization skills (biomaterials/plastics, Instron testing)
• Additive manufacturing (FDM and SLA)
• Subtractive manufacturing (manual and CNC machining)
• Plastic injection molding (extrusion, injection molding, compression molding)
• Strong documentation and SOP-writing skills
• Preferred: Drug delivery/pharmaceutical sciences, microfabrication, Matlab/Arduino programming
• Experience with testing and evaluation in large mammals

Candidate must have self-motivation and willingness to learn new tools and techniques; strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills; ability to work independently and as part of a team; comfort summarizing and reporting results to interdisciplinary researchers; commitment to exceeding standards and producing accurate, high-quality work; meticulous attention to detail; practiced documentation skills; and ability to follow safety procedures and maintain a safe work environment.