Research Technician - College of Engineering - Department of Mechanical Engineering

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world’s most renowned education institutions. With ground-breaking brain science, path-breaking performances, creative start-ups, big data, big ambitions, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn’t imagine the future, we invent it. If you’re passionate about joining a community that challenges the curious to deliver work that matters, your journey starts here!

Innovation. Interdisciplinary collaboration. Complex problem solving. In Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, faculty members, researchers, and students are revolutionizing focus areas in advanced manufacturing, bioengineering, computational engineering, energy and the environment, product design, and robotics. In addition, they are using their expertise in interdisciplinary research centers across the university.

Carnegie Mellon University’s department of Mechanical Engineering is searching for a Research Technician to join their team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in an interesting and challenging work environment. You will support the department by working at the interface of engineered-cell culture, optical biosensing, and device-oriented in vitro testing.

This position will focus primarily on developing, executing, and documenting calibration workflows for cells designed to measure clinically relevant biomarkers. The role will involve maintaining and testing engineered cell lines, establishing in vitro calibration protocols, building and operating benchtop test setups, collecting fluorescence-based measurements, analyzing quantitative readouts, and preparing rigorous experimental documentation.

The candidate will work closely with faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, engineers, and external collaborators. The role is well suited for a technically strong researcher with hands-on experience in mammalian cell culture, fluorescence-based assays, quantitative experimental workflows, and careful protocol development.

Core Responsibilities:

• Address assigned project milestones in a timely and well-documented manner.
• Maintain mammalian cell cultures and prepare cells for calibration, viability, and functional testing.
• Develop, execute, and refine standard operating procedures for engineered-cell handling and in vitro testing
• Operate fluorescence measurement systems, plate readers, microscopes, incubators, sterile hoods, and related benchtop equipment.
• Record, organize, analyze, and archive experimental data in a traceable and reproducible manner.
• Prepare technical summaries, figures, protocols, presentations, and reports for internal project meetings.
• Coordinate with postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, faculty, and external collaborators.
• Maintain laboratory supplies, cell stocks, reagent inventories, and equipment logs.
• Follow all applicable biosafety, chemical safety, and institutional compliance procedures.
• Establish and maintain in vitro test setups for calibration of engineered cells.
• Culture, expand, bank, and prepare engineered cell lines.
• Perform fluorescence-based calibration experiments using engineered cells that include biomarker-responsive signals and constitutive calibration signals.
• Generate dose-response, dynamic-range, sensitivity, stability, and repeatability datasets under defined in vitro conditions.
• Support evaluation of cell behavior under device-relevant culture conditions, including longer-duration studies when needed.
• Work with engineers to ensure cell-testing protocols are compatible with optical hardware, device materials, cell compartments, and implant-relevant testing configurations.
• Assist in identifying sources of signal drift, variability, cell loss, contamination, or measurement artifacts.
• Prepare protocols suitable for transfer, replication, and milestone reporting.
• Support additional cell- and engineering-related work across the projects in the Ozdoganlar laboratory.
• Other duties as assigned

Adaptability, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Carnegie Mellon University. We are in search of a team member who can effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

Qualifications:

• M.S. degree in Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or a closely related field.
• 2 years of relevant laboratory experience beyond the degree
• Experience with thesis-based cell culture, assay development, fl