R&D Engineer
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Before you apply
Salary£40k – £50k/wk
LocationOxford
Work modehybrid
Typefull-time
SeniorityMid
DepartmentSystems and Hardware
Company size51–200 people
PostedAug 6, 2026 · 2mo ago
Verified live19h ago
At a glanceSummarised by Seekless from the posting.
BSc Engineering (all fields) or equivalent experience
Self-starting
Excited by working alongside and contributing to a multidisciplinary team focused on developing novel high-tech instrumentation
Relevant experience in an optics/electro-optics background
Design, alignment, and troubleshooting of optical equipment
Building new optics systems in microscopy or similar technologies
Data analysis in C/C++/Python/MATLAB or similar package
Ability to perform complex analysis on novel data
Provide technical and scientific insight to develop/deliver new innovations in mass photometry
Optical/electro-optical design
Lead and participate in high-level instrument design choices
Define module boundaries and integrate new and improved modules/features into the broader technology platform
Translate product requirements into technical specifications and actionable design verification plans
Scope future product/system requirements and architecture
Own delivery of technical and customer-facing specifications for new products and systems
Concept, design, build, and troubleshoot prototype optical microscopy instruments
Analyse complex data sets from custom-built hardware to evaluate instrument performance
Understand and define complex technical specifications and requirements and interpret them to realise new designs/features quickly
Work closely with applications specialists, systems engineers, and software developers
Work closely with research, engineering, software, product, and operations teams
Actively participate in growing Refeyn’s IP portfolio and identify patentable IP
Keep up to date on advances in light microscopy, light scattering, and single molecule bioanalytics
PhD in microscopy, laser optics, or nano-optics
Skills
C
C++
Python
MATLAB
optical microscopy
laser optics
electro-optics
CMOS detectors
microfluidics
3D positioners
mass photometry
light scattering
Benefits
25 days annual leave
Bank holidays
Employer matched pension
Private health insurance
Medicash
Critical illness cover
Income protection
Life insurance
Give as you earn
Cycle to work
Annual company and individual bonus
Paid volunteer day
Nursery scheme
Maternity leave
Adoption leave
Shared parental leave
Paternity leave
Emergency childcare allowance
Linkedin learning
Training sessions
Hybrid working
Flexible hours
Subsidised lunch
Social events
Team building budget
Role Overview - Primary Objective
To help deliver next generation instruments involving a combination of lasers, electro-optics systems, 3D positioners, high speed CMOS detectors and microfluidics.
How you’ll achieve it
Working in the engineering function alongside multidisciplinary engineers, the system engineer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining Refeyn’s cutting edge technology platforms and will lead and participate in high-level instrument design choices, definition of module boundaries and the integration of new and improved modules/features into the broader technology platform. The system engineer will work closely with research, engineering, software, product, and operations teams, to translate product requirements into technical specifications and actionable design verification plans. The system engineer will be responsible for scoping future product/system requirements, scoping their architecture and how they will fit/interact with our current systems, and planning for this integration/upgrade. They will take ownership for the delivery of all technical and customer facing specification for new products and systems.
Key responsibilities for this role include:
•
Provide technical and scientific insight to develop/deliver new innovations in the implementation mass photometry for next generation instruments and submodules, including optical/electro-optical design and data analysis approaches, from proof of concept to production handover.
•
Concepting, designing, building and troubleshooting prototype optical microscopy instruments that measure single molecule properties based on the detection of light scattering.
•
Analysing complex data sets taken on custom built hardware to evaluate instrument performance and
•
Working closely with applications specialists, systems engineers and software developers to deliver new designs or features.
•
Understand and define complex technical specifications and requirements and interpret these to realise new designs/features quickly.
•
Actively participating in the growth of Refeyn’s IP portfolio and identifying patentable IP.
•
Keep up to date on the cutting-edge advances in the fields of light microscopy, light scattering and single molecule bioanalytics, with a view to offer novel approaches and improvements to our technology roadmap.
We are ideally looking for someone with the following skills and experience:
•
BSc Engineering (all fields) or equivalent experience
•
Self-starting and excited by the prospect of working alongside/contributing to a multi-disciplinary team focussed on developing novel high-tech instrumentation.
•
Relevant experience in an optics/electro-optics background, for example: a PhD in Microscopy/laser optics/Nano-optics and a degree in a related field
•
Design/alignment/troubleshooting of optical equipment; Building new optics systems in microscopy or similar technologies.
•
Data analysis in C/C++/Python/Matlab or similar package – ability to perform complex analysis on novel data.
We know there is no such thing as the perfect candidate and that there is great value in transferrable skills, so please don’t feel you have to tick all of the above boxes to apply!
Why work for Refeyn?
Compensation and core benefits
•
We anticipate a base salary of £40,000 to £50,000 for this role, depending on candidate experience
•
25 days annual leave per year in addition to bank holidays
•
Up to 7% employer matched pension contribution
•
Private health insurance from day one plus Medicash, critical illness cover, income protection and life insurance
•
Give as You Earn and Cycle to Work salary sacrifice schemes.
•
Annual Company and Individual bonus scheme
•
Paid volunteer day each year
Family Friendly Benefits
Refeyn offers YellowNest Nursery Scheme to all employees once probation is passed, and new parents can benefit from up to 17 weeks fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, 4 weeks fully paid paternity leave, plus an annual allowance for emergency childcare.
Supporting your Development
All employees receive access to Linkedin Learning which offers thousands of courses to support their personal and professional development. We also run frequent training sessions on both hard and soft skills.
Creating an Engaging Culture
Refeyn supports hybrid working where the role allows and offers flexible start and finish times. We also have a subsidised weekly lunch for onsite employees and a vibrant social calendar which includes holiday parties and midsummer festivals plus an annual team budget for managers to plan team-building activities.
About the company
Values-Led
Refeyn is committed to celebrating each other’s differences and creating a dynamic, driven and diverse culture where everyone can flourish. We are proud to have been awarded Committed Status by the Inclusive Employers Standard in 2024 and are working hard to create a safe and empowering environment for all.
We firmly believe that there is great strength in building teams with different voices, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds so that we can continue to share the team workload and enable our customers to succeed, and we welcome applicants from all sections of society to join us on our mission to advance discovery through innovation.
Expected Interview Plan
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Initial Teams call with the hiring manager (30 minutes)
•
Onsite panel interview with presentation and site tour (90 minutes)
•
Final call with Chief Product and Marketing Officer (30 minutes)
Refeyn is proud to use anonymised hiring practices. Identifying information such as a candidate’s name, email address, date of birth and photo will not be visible to the hiring manager when they review CVs.