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Senior Mechanical Engineer, Machine Design
Foresite-labs-fl2024-006
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About this role
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.
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