Device Engineer Internship / Co-Op, Fall 2026

About Panther

Better Health Is Skin Deep. With its intradermal SmartPatch™, Panther has unlocked the healing powers of the skin by precisely delivering and activating local and systemic treatments where they can be most effective. Panther is targeting economically attractive markets of increasing clinical and regulatory difficulty, starting with efficacious Cosmetics and Medical Aesthetics, and later, Therapeutics. Panther’s AI‑based platform accelerates product development and personalizes treatment and care, resulting in compelling provider and consumer user experiences. The platform, significant IP portfolio and advantaged regulatory strategy provide a defensible moat. Panther is launching initial products beginning in 2027. The company is led and supported by successful serial entrepreneurs and advised by leading medical professionals.

Opportunity

This is a fall internship based in Pittsburgh, running from October through December, with the potential to extend beyond the initial internship period. The internship is a hands‑on opportunity to work directly on the development of Panther’s SmartPatch technology. You will make and test SmartPatches, evaluate performance in skin models, investigate failures, design controlled experiments, analyze data, and build custom testing tools in 3D CAD. The role provides breadth across device development, materials, formulation, testing, and manufacturing, offering experience in experimental design, device characterization, failure analysis, statistical analysis, CAD, technical documentation, and hands‑on product development. The experience is relevant for future careers in medical devices, biotech, pharmaceutical development, biomedical engineering, R&D, product development, and manufacturing engineering.

Responsibilities

• Conduct microneedle characterization studies using pre‑clinical skin models, including donor skin.
• Perform failure mode analysis and material testing to inform critical design decisions, including stability, force, and optical testing.
• Fabricate dissolvable microneedle arrays for testing and characterization, applying working knowledge of Panther’s formulation and manufacturing processes.
• Design and prototype custom test fixtures in 3D CAD to enable controlled, repeatable device characterization.
• Design experiments (DOE) to isolate test variables, and perform statistical analysis to support design decisions.
• Document work thoroughly and write technical reports summarizing findings and conclusions.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing or obtained a degree in Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Hands‑on laboratory experience building, preparing, testing, or characterizing materials or devices, ideally involving biomaterials, polymers, medical devices, or drug delivery.
• Experience with mechanical or material testing, such as force, strength, stability, failure, penetration, or other material properties.
• Experience using test results to troubleshoot problems and improve a material, process, or device design.
• Experience with CAD, prototyping, experimental design, DOE, statistics, and/or analyzing test data to support engineering decisions.

What We Offer

• Exposure to breakthrough health technology and insight into how next‑generation drug delivery systems move from concept to product.
• Real impact from day one, working on projects that directly contribute to Panther’s microneedle array platform and product development.
• Hands‑on experience participating in the design, development, and testing of real technologies alongside senior engineers and scientists.
• Meaningful ownership of discrete projects with clear outcomes and the opportunity to present your work to the team.
• Startup‑level responsibility within a small, fast‑moving team where your ideas and contributions genuinely matter.
• Collaboration with a small group of thoughtful, curious people who care deeply about the mission.