Description
Apply engineering, biology, chemistry, materials science, and biomechanics to design, synthesize, process, and evaluate biomaterials for medical devices, implants, tissue-engineered constructs, coatings, and drug delivery systems, ensuring biocompatibility, performance, manufacturability, and regulatory compliance.
- • Evaluate the safety, biocompatibility, and performance of biomaterials and material-enabled devices.
- • Advise product teams, clinicians, and procurement on material selection, processing, and use for implants and devices.
- • Research and develop new polymers, ceramics, metals, composites, and hydrogels for medical applications.
- • Build computational models and simulations (e.g., FEA, diffusion, degradation) of material behavior in vivo.
- • Collaborate with life scientists to study cell-material interactions and tissue responses.
- • Develop surface treatments, coatings, and sterilization-compatible processes to enhance device performance.
- • Analyze preclinical and clinical data to forecast wear, corrosion, toxicity, and degradation outcomes.
- • Train manufacturing and clinical staff on biomaterial handling, processing, and use.
- • Author protocols, standards, and work instructions for material selection, handling, testing, and shelf life.
- • Advise manufacturing on polymerization, compounding, sintering, extrusion, molding, and additive manufacturing.
- • Partner with manufacturing and quality to define specifications, SDS, SOPs, validations, and reports.
- • Interface with regulatory bodies on biocompatibility strategies, risk assessments, and submissions.
- • Manage suppliers for raw material specifications, change control, and qualification.
- • Align material designs with R&D and production to ensure process compatibility and scale-up.
- • Consult with chemists, biologists, and clinicians to assess novel biomaterial technologies.
- • Design materials, scaffolds, and interfaces to improve implants, prosthetics, and assistive devices.
- • Plan and execute experiments to optimize formulations, crosslinking, porosity, and mechanics.
- • Develop and validate mechanical, chemical, thermal, and biological test methods per ISO 10993 and ASTM.
- • Run bench and pilot-scale processing trials to optimize yield, consistency, and cost.
- • Develop biodegradable and resorbable materials and controlled-release systems.
- • Create technology transfer packages to move material processes from lab to manufacturing.
- • Use statistical modeling and DOE to link process variables to material properties and performance.
- • Lead process improvement initiatives to reduce variability, scrap, and risk in material production.
- • Maintain databases of formulations, test data, and material certifications.
- • Manage project schedules, budgets, and vendor contracts for material development and validation.
- • Prepare technical reports, regulatory dossiers, manuscripts, and patent disclosures.
- • Track scientific literature and standards for advances in biomaterials, sterilization, and testing.
- • Recommend material choices, coatings, and processing parameters based on data and models.
- • Review manufacturing processes to improve material performance, reliability, and yield.
- • Perform failure analysis and root-cause investigations on material-related nonconformances and field returns.
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Advanced Manufacturing
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
