Engineering Co-op - Fluidics (May / June until December 2026)
About The Position
DropletPharma is funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to build breakthrough microscale systems that transform radiopharmaceutical discovery and production. Our goal is to dramatically accelerate the development of life-saving cancer therapies and improve patient outcomes at scale. This is not a typical internship — what you build will go directly into real systems actively being developed for clinical and research use. Our past interns have presented directly to ARPA-H program managers overseeing multi-million-dollar project portfolios, and we make a deliberate effort to ensure you have the same opportunity. You will gain hands-on experience building real hardware in a fast-moving startup environment, with significant ownership and visibility into system-level design. You will contribute directly to systems designed to accelerate the development of life-saving therapies. As a Fluidics Engineering intern on our team, you will be tasked with taking ownership and implementing core improvements to fluidic systems for our flagship platforms. This is a highly hands-on, in-person role based in Los Angeles, CA from May 2026 until December 2026.
Requirements
- Pursuing B.S. degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or similar
- Fabrication and assembly of complex systems (mechanical, electromechanical, fluidic, pneumatic)
- Device design experience using Solidworks or another CAD tool
- Familiarity with real-time control systems for pumps, valves, sensors or other fluidic components
- Experience testing and troubleshooting system operation and performance
- Comfortable with material processing and safe handling of chemicals
Nice To Haves
- Hands-on experience with microfluidic chip fabrication, bonding and assembly
- Machine shop or microfabrication facility experience (3D printing, Laser Cutting, CNC Milling, Microfabrication)
- Experience with electronics and microcontrollers
- Working knowledge of design of experiments and statistical analysis tools such as ANOVA, significance analysis, etc.
Responsibilities
- Designing, implementing, testing, and characterizing mechanical, pneumatic, and fluidic subsystems for our radiopharmaceutical production and discovery systems
- Fabricating microscale consumables including plastic manufacturing, assembly and bonding
- Building, assembling, and integrating microfluidic chips into mechanical, pneumatic, electronic, and fluid-handling subsystems within prototype instruments
- Designing and building custom test fixtures, diagnostic tools, and instrumentation to rapidly evaluate chip prototypes and subsystem performance
- Developing and performing QC protocols to evaluate chip yield, bonding strength, channel integrity, dimensional accuracy, and overall manufacturing performance
- Analyzing microfluidic behavior to identify failure modes, optimize geometries, and improve fluidic, pneumatic, and thermal performance
- Conducting chemical compatibility testing on chip materials and fabrication procedures to ensure reliable operation with radiochemical reagents, solvents, acids/bases, and buffers
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
