Lead Research Engineer - Aerosol Systems, Exposure Platforms & Instrumentation Integration

The Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Division is made of up approximately 70 clinical staff and over 100 research staff who work in a variety of locations including: Bridgeside Point, Biomedical Science Tower (BST), UPMC Hospitals including Presbyterian, Shadyside, East, Jameson and Mercy. The division provides world class services across 10 inpatient services at five hospitals and over 70,000 outpatient office visits.

We have a major research mission that focuses on basic, clinical, and translational research on the lung, microbiome, COVID-19, sleep medicine, and allergy and immunology. The Benam Lab ( at the University of Pittsburgh Departments of Medicine and Bioengineering is seeking a highly motivated Lead Research Engineer to support the development, integration, and operation of advanced aerosol delivery, sensing, and exposure systems for human-relevant experimental platforms.

This role focuses on ensuring precise, reproducible generation and delivery of airborne agents, as well as integration of instrumentation and multi-system platforms to enable controlled and standardized experimental workflows. The position will contribute to system optimization, performance validation, and operational readiness in complex laboratory environments.

Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Electrical / Systems Engineering, or a related field
Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in system design, instrumentation, or experimental platform development
Experience with fluid systems, airflow control, or particle/aerosol transport
Experience with prototyping and integration of complex engineering systems
Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills
Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary research and engineering environments

Preferred Qualifications
Master's or Ph. D. in a relevant engineering discipline
Experience with aerosol generation, characterization, or exposure systems
Familiarity with sensors, environmental control systems, and integrated instrumentation platforms
Experience with dynamic flow systems and control of physiologically relevant conditions
Experience working in controlled or regulated laboratory environments (e.g., high-containment or safety-regulated settings)
Experience integrating engineering systems with biological or microphysiological platforms