Principal Mechanical Engineer - Dynamic Systems

$156,000 - $221,000/Yr

Element Biosciences - San Diego, CA

Full-time - Senior

San Diego, CA

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

At Element Biosciences, we are passionate about our mission to empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity. We have built a highly efficient product-driven organization where employees can learn, grow, and thrive in a challenging but encouraging environment. We are committed to scientific integrity, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness. We are seeking an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer - Dynamic Systems to drive system architecture, module design, simulation, and optimization for complex scientific instruments. This is a key role within our Instrument Mechanical Engineering group requiring a technical expert with previous experience collaborating closely with cross-functional teammates from R&D and Operations. Strong engineering fundamentals in motion systems, thermal, and static analysis, rigorous critical thinking skills, and a methodical product development approach are essential attributes.

Responsibilities

• Translate market requirements into product requirements, system architecture, module designs, and component selection
• Design dynamic sub-systems and functional modules that integrate into a rational system architecture
• Negotiate system performance trade-offs across structural, motion, thermal, fluidic, and optical domains
• Conduct modal analyses and interpret Bode plots to inform control schemes and feedback loops
• Manage internal and external dynamic system development projects
• Develop diagnostic analysis tools and optimization approaches to achieve dynamic system performance targets
• Lead cross-functional root cause analysis involving shock, vibration, noise, thermal gradients, and control loops by applying structured problem-solving methodologies and making data-driven decisions
• Verify and transfer reliable dynamic system and control solutions from R&D to Operations; Support existing product lines as required
• Lead improvement efforts to optimize instrument performance, lifetime, reliability, and robustness against external forces
• Steer and support the company's product development roadmap by proving out new technologies and design concepts

Requirements

• Minimum BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or Mechatronics and 16 or more years relevant work experience (or equivalent combination of education and industry experience)
• Proven track record as a dynamic systems engineer on development programs spanning from concept to commercialization
• Strong theoretical and applied understanding of control theory (PID feedback, Bode plots) and control design principles (stage / cradle / isolator design, kinematics, dynamics modeling)
• Expertise with SolidWorks and SolidWorks Simulation (or equivalents like Ansys and SIMULIA) required
• Experience with programming in C#, LabView, Python, or .NET preferred
• Scientifically curious, a critical thinker, with a passion for learning new things; Relentlessly seeks to understand the scientific root cause of different aspects of system performance and to steer that understanding towards design improvements
• Ability to navigate uncertainty while developing a deeper understanding of system performance to enable development of better products
• Ability to work in a fast paced, interdisciplinary environment and quickly adjust to rapidly evolving technology and priorities

Benefits

• Stock options
• Discretionary annual bonus
• No cost health insurance plans
• 401k with company match
• Flexible paid time off