Senior Mechanical Engineer, Machine Design

Senior Mechanical Engineer, Machine Design

Location: San Diego, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

$130,000 - $140,000

Machine Design

• Own the design of precision mechanical systems including frames, motion elements, fixtures, and actuation mechanisms

• Perform tolerance stack-ups and define GD&T for precision assemblies

• Develop and manage mechanical error budgets (alignment, motion accuracy).

• Analyze stiffness, deflection, vibration, and fatigue using analytical methods and FEA

• Design mechanisms that balance performance, cost, manufacturability, and reliability

Thermal Control Hardware

• Design thermal control systems including heaters, heat exchangers, insulation, cold plates, airflow systems, and structural thermal paths

• Translate temperature stability and uniformity requirements into hardware specifications

• Perform thermal modeling and first-principles heat transfer calculations (conduction, convection, radiation)

• Develop and maintain thermal error budgets (drift, gradients, response time)

• Collaborate with electrical and firmware engineers on sensor placement and control strategy integration

Fluid Control Hardware Design

• Design fluid handling assemblies including manifolds, tubing routing, fittings, valves, pumps, and reservoirs

• Perform flow calculations (pressure drop, flow rate, Reynolds number)

• Support material selection for chemical compatibility and biocompatibility

• Integrate fluidic subsystems with thermal and mechanical assemblies

• Develop leak testing and validation strategies

Analysis & Validation

• Build structured analytical models to predict mechanical, thermal, and fluidic performance

• Maintain subsystem-level error budgets (mechanical, thermal stability, flow accuracy)

• Design and execute validation testing for temperature stability, fluid accuracy, drift, and mechanical robustness

• Perform structured root cause analysis when performance targets are not met

• Support DFMEA and risk assessment activities

Prototyping & Integration

• Assemble and debug mechanical, thermal, and fluidic prototypes

• Instrument systems for temperature, flow, and mechanical performance measurement

• Iterate quickly based on test results and integration feedback

• Support alpha and beta system builds

Manufacturing & Documentation

• Create detailed mechanical drawings with proper GD&T

• Participate in DFM/DFA reviews

• Work with vendors on machined, sheet metal, molded, and fluidic components

• Support transition from prototype to low-volume production

Qualifications

Required

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related field

• 5–8+ years of experience in precision machine design, thermal systems, and/or fluid handling hardware

• Strong foundation in tolerance analysis and error budgeting

• Experience performing thermal and fluid flow calculations

• Proficiency in 3D CAD (e.g. SolidWorks)

• Hands-on experience building and testing hardware

Preferred

• Experience in bioinstrumentation, medical devices, diagnostics, or scientific equipment

• Experience designing closed-loop temperature-controlled systems

• Experience with microfluidic or low-volume reagent handling systems

• Familiarity with FEA tools for structural and thermal analysis

• Experience selecting materials for chemical compatibility

• Experience supporting early-stage production builds

What We’re Looking For

• Analytical thinker who quantifies performance limits and tradeoffs

• Strong mechanical fundamentals with systems-level intuition

• Comfortable owning subsystems end-to-end

• Hands-on builder who enjoys working in the lab

• Clear communicator across electrical, firmware, fluidics, and systems teams

We are an equal opportunity employer. We thrive on diversity and collaboration.