Consumable R&D Engineer

About us

Spore.Bio is a deeptech startup born in 2023, building a new paradigm in quality control systems for Food & Beverage, Cosmetics, and Pharmaceutical factories. After spending a lot of time in factory environments, we saw the pain it was to make sure products were safe. Traditional quality control has heavy constraints and long waiting times. To change that, we decided to build Spore.Bio, a new generation of microbiological testing. Our team is dedicated to developing a cutting-edge solution, based on advanced photonic and deep-learning technologies, to detect bacterial contamination within seconds.

About the role

At Spore.Bio, consumables are not an afterthought. They are a critical part of our detection system, sitting at the intersection of biology, materials science, and precision manufacturing. As our Consumable Development Engineer, you will take ownership of the entry life-cycle of consumable : design, development, industrialization and validation of the single-use components that make our technology work in the field. You will work closely with our Hardware, Microbiology, ML, and Product teams, and interact directly with external suppliers and manufacturers. This is a high-ownership position with a real impact on a product used in demanding industrial environments, from concept through scale‑up to routine production..

Key Responsibilities

Design & development

• Co-lead the development and optimization of single-use consumables, including design iterations, material selection, and performance testing.

• Translate user and system requirements into consumable specifications (geometry, materials, tolerances, interfaces, cleanliness/bioburden, packaging, shelf life, etc.).

• Develop and refine the analytical workflow built around the single‑use consumables, in collaboration with Microbiology, Hardware, and ML teams.

• Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principles to ensure designs are compatible with injection molding, converting, assembly, and surface treatment/coating processes.

• Support technology transfer to production and assist in defining functional specifications and QC parameters.

Supplier & quality management

• Communicate proactively with suppliers across materials, molding, assembly, and coatings to ensure quality, timelines, and technical alignment.

• Define and maintain functional specifications, incoming inspection plans, and QC parameters for consumable components and assemblies.

• Troubleshoot and resolve technical or quality issues arising during prototype builds, testing, or supplier production.

Testing & documentation

• Perform microbiological and functional tests to verify product cleanliness, sterility, and compatibility with diagnostic workflows.

• Document experiments, test results, and design changes following internal R&D and quality procedures.

Cross-functional collaboration

• Work closely with Hardware, ML, Microbiology, and Product teams to validate consumable design and performance.

• Contribute to internal knowledge sharing and continuous improvement of development processes.

About you

Must‑have requirements

• Engineering degree (or equivalent) in materials, mechanical, biomedical, chemical, or related field.

• Approximately 2–5 years of experience in product development in a regulated or semi‑regulated environment (IVD, medical device, diagnostics, biotech, pharma, or similar), with significant hands‑on work on consumables, devices, or plastic components.

• Demonstrated experience in designing and/or developing single‑use components or assemblies in plastics or hybrid materials (e.g. injection‑molded parts, films, membranes, filters, microfluidics, sample prep cartridges)

• Proficiency in designing and executing experiments to characterize component performance, including defining test plans and acceptance criteria.

• Prior exposure to working under a quality management system (e.g. ISO 13485, ISO 9001, or equivalent) and following formal change control, documentation, and traceability practices.

• High level of hands‑on ownership: comfortable alternating between bench work, CAD, supplier calls, and documentation

• Structured problem‑solving skills, with a pragmatic approach to prioritizing experiments and converging on robust solutions.

• Strong communication skills (spoken and written) in an international, cross‑functional environment; able to summarize complex technical topics clearly for non‑experts.

• Fluent in English.

Nice‑to‑have requirements

• Experience with diagnostic consumables, sample preparation devices, microfluidics, membrane filtration in IVD/biotech contexts.

• Basic working proficiency with 3D CAD for part and simple assembly design plus creation/review of engineering drawings and basic tolerancing.

• Participation in process validation activities (IQ/OQ/PQ) for molding, assembly, or sterilization processes.

• Familiarity with microbiological testing (bioburden, sterility, contamination control).

• Fluency in French.

Soft Skills & Mindset

• Hands-on and pragmatic: you like building things, testing them, and iterating fast.

• Detail-oriented without losing sight of the bigger picture.

• Collaborative and curious: you're comfortable working across disciplines and learning from people with very different backgrounds.

We don't expect you to know everything from day one. What matters most is your curiosity, your rigor, and your drive to have a real impact on a product that is changing how factories keep products safe.

Why join us?

• Work at the frontier of deeptech, photonics, and AI applied to a critical real-world problem.

• Get hands-on experience on a physical product with real industrial constraints.

• Collaborate with exceptional engineers, microbiologists, and AI researchers.

• Evolve in a collaborative, ambitious, and high-standards environment.

• Autonomy, visibility, and tangible impact from day one.

What we offer

We believe that flexibility and trust are important parts of a company. Our work environment reflects this:

• Flexible remote: if you live in Paris, you can work from our office or from home with no constraints.

• Gymlib subscription to stay in shape wherever you are.

• Swile card for your meals, if you are based in France.

• Team events: frequent gatherings and in-person offsites every quarter.

Recruitment process

1. Fit interview (~30 min): A call to get to know each other, your experience, what drives you, and what you're looking for. It's also your chance to ask anything about Spore.Bio and the role.

2. Technical case study (take-home): A hands-on challenge reflecting the kind of problems you'd work on. We care about your reasoning and your instincts, not textbook answers.

3. On-site interview + Lab visit + Founders meeting: A full day at our Paris office. You'll meet the founders, visit the lab, and see the technology in action. This is as much for you as it is for us.