Applications Engineer – 3D Cell Culture Systems

About VivoTex:

VivoTex is on a mission to become the global leader in microfiber scaffolds for bioscience research, discovery, and development. Driven by our vision and powered by groundbreaking advancements in MEW-at-scale, our team is accelerating adoption across academic and private labs—advancing human health through regenerative medicine and transforming drug discovery.

We are seeking a highly skilled Applications Engineer with deep expertise in 3D culture systems to join our team as both a customer solutions advocate and an internal R&D driver. In this role, you will collaborate across R&D, manufacturing, marketing, business development, and technical sales to identify and address customer needs and emerging industry opportunities. You will play a central role in product evaluation and application testing, while also leading and supporting R&D initiatives that expand the capabilities of our scaffold technologies. This position is critical to ensuring that VivoTex not only meets customer requirements but also advances the science behind our products to deliver innovative, differentiated solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as a subject matter expert in 3D culture applications, providing technical guidance and support to customers.
• Identify and recommend tailored application solutions for potential and existing customers.
• Lead the development of white papers and technical documentation to demonstrate application success and product capabilities. Application examples include - demonstrating use of scaffolds for engineering 3D cancer models, skin, musculoskeletal tissue grafts, connective tissue and/or vascularized 3D constructs.
• Provide comprehensive analyses of the state of the field and application internally within the company to support continuing education and summarize new insights from customers.
• Provide technical sales support by assisting in customer engagements, presentations, and demonstrations.
• Collaborate with marketing to create impactful materials and media content for promotional and educational purposes.
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends and customer needs to drive innovation and adoption of VivoTex solutions.
• Evaluate competitive scaffold products and technologies to provide strategic insights. Create documentation and marketing materials, and contribute to the design of next generation products.
• Advise on the design of new products including but not limited to optimal sterilization techniques, scaffold coatings, scaffold design architecture, scaffold treatments to modify their hydrophilicity and/or mechanical properties, development of scaffold-based cell assays, and Application-specific products to address the research and clinical needs of field-specific challenges.
• Perform and manage cell seeding and tissue culture work and associated imaging and analysis.
• Supervise BSL2 lab technician(s).
• Advise and plan BSL2 lab growth, staying on top of infrastructure and capabilities needs to support business needs.
• Manage and ensure BSL2 compliance

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have an MS or PhD in Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Bioengineering, Tissue Engineering, or a related technical field, with 5 years of experience in cell and tissue culture applications.

Scientific and Technical Expertise:

3D Culture and Biomaterials:

• Extensive experience with scaffold design and a deep understanding of biomaterial properties, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical strength.

Bioactive Integration:

• Experience incorporating bioactive molecules (e.g., growth factors, nanoparticles) into scaffolds and/or engineering of hybrid hydrogel-scaffold composites (e.g. reinforced hydrogels) to enhance functionality.

Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering:

• Expertise in working with relevant cell types (e.g., stem cells, osteoblasts, endothelial cells, cancer cells) and understanding cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and migration within 3D environments.

Analytical Techniques:

• Hands-on experience with advanced imaging and analysis methods such as confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and biochemical assays (e.g., ELISA, immunohistochemistry, metabolic assays) for evaluating cell-material interactions.

Regulatory and Translational Knowledge:

• Familiarity with regulatory requirements (e.g., FDA) and experience in translating laboratory findings into clinically applicable products or protocols.

Highly Desirable Experience and Skills:

Bioreactors and Perfusion Systems:

• Design and optimization of bioreactors and perfusion systems for dynamic tissue culture environments.

Melt-ElectroWriting (MEW):

• Knowledge of scaffold design, fabrication, and applications in regenerative medicine. Deep understanding of factors affecting scaffold performance, such as fiber diameter, pore size, and alignment.

Regenerative Medicine Applications:

• Hands-on experience in applications such as bone regeneration, wound healing, or cancer research, with an understanding of 3D culture applications in drug screening and diagnostics.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Experience working within regulatory frameworks to advance biomedical products from concept to market.

Soft Skills and Attributes:

Problem-Solving:

• Strong troubleshooting abilities to address challenges in 3D culture systems and scaffold optimization.

Collaboration:

• Excellent communication skills to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams, including engineers, clinicians, and commercial partners.

Adaptability:

• Ability to learn and apply new techniques in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Mentorship and Training:

• Proven ability to educate and support internal teams through workshops and technical training sessions.