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Senior Mechanical Engineer, Machine Design

Foresite Labs (Stealth Co), San Diego, CA, United States


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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