Sr Staff Engineer, R&D, Mechanical Engineer

Sr Staff Engineer, R&D, Mechanical Engineer

In this role as a Sr Staff Mechanical Engineer, you’ll drive the design of an innovative automation system for precision handling and processing of custom parts, with modules for transfer & positioning, thermal control, and controlled fluid storage and dispense. The role will exercise expertise in precision machine design, electro-mechanical control systems, and metrology development. You will be a key member of the core engineering team responsible for defining and delivering our flagship platform.

The responsibilities of this role include:

· System Architecture:

· Define requirements, specifications, tolerance stacks, and error budgets for mechanical subsystems.

· Conduct trade studies to optimize architecture for performance, manufacturability, cost, and reliability.

· Own the mechanical system architecture for part processing and precision fluid management modules.

· Design & Development

· Design, develop, and validate complex, high-performance electromechanical assemblies for:

· Part transfer and precision positioning

· Thermal control and temperature uniformity

· Fluid storage and precision dispense

· Controlled environmental systems (temperature, humidity, air purity)

· Develop metrology solutions for system monitoring, including:

· Machine vision for position and alignment measurement

· Optical or imaging-based fluid contamination detection

· Dynamic spatial temperature measurement and calibration

· Select and integrate key components such as motors, bearings, encoders, drives, pneumatics, pumps, valves, sensors, seals, heaters, and thermoelectrics.

· Cross-Functional Integration

· Collaborate closely with systems, electrical, and software engineers to align mechanical and control architectures.

· Partner with assay scientists to ensure mechanical designs meet biological and chemical requirements.

· Work with operations, manufacturing, and supply chain to ensure scalability, cost-efficiency, and high-quality builds.

· Prototyping, Testing & Validation

· Lead prototype builds and iterative design improvements based on empirical test results.

· Define and execute mechanical and system-level verification and validation plans.

· Analyze performance data and reliability metrics to drive continuous improvement.

Minimum qualifications

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

· 10–15+ years of experience designing precision electromechanical or fluidic systems for production instruments or automation platforms.

· Proven ownership of complex systems from concept through product launch.

· Expert in 3D CAD (SolidWorks) with strong proficiency in GD&T and detailed mechanical drawings.

· Deep expertise in machine design and precision motion systems.

· Strong analytical and modeling skills — mechanical, thermal, and system-level.

Preferred qualifications

· Experience in bioinstrumentation, analytical devices, or medical instruments

· Working knowledge of embedded controls, sensors, and mechatronic integration.

· Experience mentoring other engineers and influencing design culture.