Technical R&D Lead
Cork, Cork, Ireland
Part Time
Research
Experienced
Technical R&D Lead
About Tyndall
Tyndall National Institute is an international leader in semiconductors, photonics and deep-tech research and innovation. As a leading collaborative European research institute, Tyndall is a key actor and hosting partner in the delivery of the ‘Chips for Europe Initiative’ (EU Chips Act).
Tyndall is Ireland’s leading research and innovation organisation and it is the national focal point for excellence in deep-tech research, development and graduate training at the convergence of nanotechnology, microelectronics, photonics, electronics and AI. Tyndall is recognised as an international research leader in semiconductor, chip and digital technologies, particularly as applied to the fields of Information & Communications, Health & Life Sciences, Agritech & Food Security, Energy and Climate Mitigation, emerging fields such as quantum, and novel computing paradigms.
The Institute’s key objective is to see frontier research activities having a significant impact on economic development and societal challenges in Ireland, Europe and beyond. Central to Tyndall’s mission is delivering economic impact through research excellence in partnership with industry and academia. With an annual turnover of more than €50m, the Institute has a community of over 600 researchers, engineers, support staff, postgraduate students, interns and industry researchers-in-residence.
With significant committed Irish government support, Tyndall will grow to be 1,000 people by 2030, with approximately 750 researchers, including 250 PhD students. A new 17,000 m2 research building is under development adjacent to the Cork headquarters and there are developing plans to expand Tyndall’s existing Dublin research labs and to establish other research sites within Ireland.
Tyndall’s expansion is also supported by recent national and EU funding wins for significant (M€10’s) additional research equipment across a range of areas such as semiconductor processing, microscopy, quantum technologies, heterogeneous integration, ultra-high speed optical communications and RF through THz characterisation.
About the Team
Biophotonics@Tyndall was established eight years ago as a collaborative research programme based at the Tyndall National Institute, led by Professor Stefan Andersson-Engels. The Group’s mission is to foster strong collaborations with clinicians, research centres, and industry partners to accelerate the translation of biophotonics innovations into practical healthcare solutions. By harnessing photonics as a driver, the team aims to enable faster development and deployment of more accurate, less invasive diagnostic and monitoring technologies for a wide range of life science and clinical applications.
About the Role
The successful candidate will join the Biophotonics team in the Photonics Centre with the explicit aim to lead the development of a novel technology through a start-up company that we plan to launch in 2028. Our primary objective is to bring this exciting new technology to market and to achieve this through the formation of a Tyndall start-up company. We anticipate that a successful individual will play a leading role in the company once it is formed. During the 12-month appointment, the Technical R&D Lead will be responsible for end-to-end technical project leadership, including roadmap definition, milestone delivery, risk management, and coordination across multidisciplinary teams. The role will ensure that product development is aligned with market needs, standards, regulatory pathways, and IP strategy, in line with Enterprise Ireland commercialisation milestones. A core element of the role will be close engagement with potential end-users, partners, and customers to translate market feedback into clear technical specifications, while supporting commercial activities through technical due diligence, demonstrations, and participation in international trade shows, conferences, industry events.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Apart from offering a position in a very successful and positive research environment, with a collaborative ethos full of diverse competencies to boost your career, we offer the following:
Contract Category: Part-Time (50%)
Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 months)
Appointment may be made on the Research Fellow Scale (new entrants) salary €65,889 - €71,796 per annum. Salary placement on appointment will be in accordance with the public sector pay policy.
Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Katarzyna Komolibus.
Closing date for applications for this position is 1pm, 19th February 2026.
Application Instructions
Please make sure to attach an up-to-date CV/Resume AND a brief motivation letter outlining how you meet the ‘Essential Criteria’ for this role.
Please note that Garda vetting and/or an international police clearance check may form part of the selection process.
Please note that an appointment to posts advertised will be dependent on university approval, together with the terms of the employment control framework for the higher education sector.
Tyndall National Institute does not require the assistance of recruitment agencies.
Tyndall National Institute at University College, Cork is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
About Tyndall
Tyndall National Institute is an international leader in semiconductors, photonics and deep-tech research and innovation. As a leading collaborative European research institute, Tyndall is a key actor and hosting partner in the delivery of the ‘Chips for Europe Initiative’ (EU Chips Act).
Tyndall is Ireland’s leading research and innovation organisation and it is the national focal point for excellence in deep-tech research, development and graduate training at the convergence of nanotechnology, microelectronics, photonics, electronics and AI. Tyndall is recognised as an international research leader in semiconductor, chip and digital technologies, particularly as applied to the fields of Information & Communications, Health & Life Sciences, Agritech & Food Security, Energy and Climate Mitigation, emerging fields such as quantum, and novel computing paradigms.
The Institute’s key objective is to see frontier research activities having a significant impact on economic development and societal challenges in Ireland, Europe and beyond. Central to Tyndall’s mission is delivering economic impact through research excellence in partnership with industry and academia. With an annual turnover of more than €50m, the Institute has a community of over 600 researchers, engineers, support staff, postgraduate students, interns and industry researchers-in-residence.
With significant committed Irish government support, Tyndall will grow to be 1,000 people by 2030, with approximately 750 researchers, including 250 PhD students. A new 17,000 m2 research building is under development adjacent to the Cork headquarters and there are developing plans to expand Tyndall’s existing Dublin research labs and to establish other research sites within Ireland.
Tyndall’s expansion is also supported by recent national and EU funding wins for significant (M€10’s) additional research equipment across a range of areas such as semiconductor processing, microscopy, quantum technologies, heterogeneous integration, ultra-high speed optical communications and RF through THz characterisation.
About the Team
Biophotonics@Tyndall was established eight years ago as a collaborative research programme based at the Tyndall National Institute, led by Professor Stefan Andersson-Engels. The Group’s mission is to foster strong collaborations with clinicians, research centres, and industry partners to accelerate the translation of biophotonics innovations into practical healthcare solutions. By harnessing photonics as a driver, the team aims to enable faster development and deployment of more accurate, less invasive diagnostic and monitoring technologies for a wide range of life science and clinical applications.
About the Role
The successful candidate will join the Biophotonics team in the Photonics Centre with the explicit aim to lead the development of a novel technology through a start-up company that we plan to launch in 2028. Our primary objective is to bring this exciting new technology to market and to achieve this through the formation of a Tyndall start-up company. We anticipate that a successful individual will play a leading role in the company once it is formed. During the 12-month appointment, the Technical R&D Lead will be responsible for end-to-end technical project leadership, including roadmap definition, milestone delivery, risk management, and coordination across multidisciplinary teams. The role will ensure that product development is aligned with market needs, standards, regulatory pathways, and IP strategy, in line with Enterprise Ireland commercialisation milestones. A core element of the role will be close engagement with potential end-users, partners, and customers to translate market feedback into clear technical specifications, while supporting commercial activities through technical due diligence, demonstrations, and participation in international trade shows, conferences, industry events.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
- Technical leadership and project management: Manage the technical development programme, defining the system architecture, development roadmap, and technical milestones; Manage project planning, timelines, resources, and technical risk across hardware, software, optics, and biological components; Coordinate internal and external collaborators to ensure timely and high-quality delivery of project goals.
- Product Definition & Translation: Translate customer and market requirements into detailed technical specifications, performance metrics, and validation plans; Support the evolution of the technology from laboratory prototype towards a robust, scalable, and manufacturable system; Ensure alignment between technical development and commercial product-market fit.
- Standards, regulatory and quality strategy: Identify relevant standards, regulatory pathways, and compliance requirements for life science and bioanalytical instrumentation; Contribute to the definition of a regulatory and quality strategy appropriate for target applications and markets; Ensure technical documentation supports future regulatory submissions and investor due diligence.
- Intellectual Property & Innovation Management: Work closely with Tyndall/UCC Innovation (TTO) to identify, protect, and manage foreground and background IP; Support patent drafting, freedom-to-operate considerations, and IP strategy aligned with spin-out formation.
- Support the development of the emerging spin-out opportunity.
- Participate in Education and Public Engagement activities.
- Ensure compliance with Tyndall’s Quality Management Systems, Health and Safety standards, and other regulations.
- To carry out any additional duties that may reasonably be required within the general scope and level of the post.
- PhD in Biochemistry or other relevant areas
- Formal Certification or Diploma in Project management
- Typically, 4+ years extensive industry experience managing technical R&D programmes in life sciences, bioanalytical instrumentation, or medical/diagnostic technologies.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multidisciplinary projects spanning hardware, software, sensors, data analytics and biology.
- Proven track record of delivering innovative bioanalytical solutions across drug discovery, toxicology, and cell therapy.
- Experience translating research outputs into product-oriented development.
- Proven expertise in cell analysis and fluorescence-based technologies.
- Knowledge of standards, regulatory, and quality considerations relevant to life science or bioanalytical devices.
- Demonstrated management of cross-functional teams spanning hardware, software, sensors, and biology to deliver integrated workflow solutions.
- Experience working with intellectual property and technology transfer processes.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Track record of working on own initiative.
- Desire to participate in any future start-up company.
- Experience with photonics-based devices.
Apart from offering a position in a very successful and positive research environment, with a collaborative ethos full of diverse competencies to boost your career, we offer the following:
- Impactful Work: Opportunities to contribute to ground-breaking research and innovation that shape Ireland’s economy and the society at large.
- Continuous Learning: Strong support for formal training, further study and professional development.
- Interdisciplinary Environment: Where academia, industry, and innovation intersect - supported by cutting-edge infrastructure and expert knowledge.
- Blended Working: Flexibility to work remotely and on-site, where the role allows.
- Comprehensive Benefits: Access to UCC pension, long-term illness benefit, life assurance, and more.
- Generous Leave: Competitive annual leave entitlements.
- Equity & Inclusion: Athena Swan Bronze award holder, with ongoing initiatives led by a dedicated People and Culture team to ensure equity for all.
- Core Values: A culture grounded in Ambition, Collaboration, Diversity, Excellence, and Integrity.
- Entrepreneurial Spirit: A proactive, innovation-driven environment that welcomes entrepreneurial and creative thinkers, including those with start-up experience.
- Supportive Onboarding: Structured induction and mentoring to help new hires integrate and thrive.
- Vibrant Culture: A collaborative, people-first workplace with a strong sense of community.
Contract Category: Part-Time (50%)
Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 months)
Appointment may be made on the Research Fellow Scale (new entrants) salary €65,889 - €71,796 per annum. Salary placement on appointment will be in accordance with the public sector pay policy.
Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Katarzyna Komolibus.
Closing date for applications for this position is 1pm, 19th February 2026.
Application Instructions
Please make sure to attach an up-to-date CV/Resume AND a brief motivation letter outlining how you meet the ‘Essential Criteria’ for this role.
Please note that Garda vetting and/or an international police clearance check may form part of the selection process.
Please note that an appointment to posts advertised will be dependent on university approval, together with the terms of the employment control framework for the higher education sector.
Tyndall National Institute does not require the assistance of recruitment agencies.
Tyndall National Institute at University College, Cork is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
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