Mechanical Design Engineer

Actalent; Risch-Rotkreuz; Hybrid; CHF 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Home office: 1 day per week

Possible contract extension

Job summary

Actalent’s Liquid Handling Team in Rotkreuz seeks a Mechanical Design Engineer specializing in fluid dynamics to advance smart liquid handling concepts for IVD product development. You analyze novel technologies, run CFD simulations, and support experimental verification to optimize pipetting performance.

Ideal candidates have 1–3 years CFD experience, strong analytical skills, and be proficient in Python and C#. Collaboration in international teams and German/English communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Completed studies in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Fluid Dynamics.
• 1–3 years of experience with CFD software and simulation techniques.
• Strong analytical and structured approach to solving complex problems.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in German and English.

Responsibilities

• Concept assessment and parameter determination for new technologies and pipetting performance.
• Support liquid handling solution development for IVD product development with CFD and experiments.
• Lead feasibility studies in liquid handling to meet technical requirements and minimize risks.
• Define and develop test benches for feasibility studies and parameter determination, collaborating with engineering and software teams.

Skills

Analytical skills

Structured problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

German-English communication

Education

Bachelor or Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Fluid Dynamics)

Tools

CFD software

Python

C#

Job description

The Liquid Handling Team in Rotkreuz is the expert team for liquid handling solutions for our diagnostic instruments. In collaboration with the various project and product teams, we develop, maintain, and test the fluid systems, pipetting, and dosing solutions for our diagnostic instruments, including mechanics, electronics, real-time software, and monitoring algorithms.

As a Mechanical Design Engineer - Expert in Fluid Dynamics, you will help evaluate and develop new technologies in the field of liquid handling for our IVD product development. You will support the development of cost-effective and reliable fluidic concepts that meet system requirements.

With your expertise in fluid dynamics, including experimental fluid dynamics, and your ability to grasp the overall system context, you will make a significant contribution to the success of our future diagnostics portfolio.

The ideal candidate

is a qualified individual with a background in mechanical engineering and a specialization in fluid dynamics. The ideal candidate will have 1 to 3 years of experience with CFD software and simulation techniques (including grid generation, simulation, and post-processing). Strong analytical skills, a structured approach to solving complex problems, and enthusiasm for experimental fluid dynamics are also required. Practical experience in developing test setups and programming skills in Python and C# complete the profile.

General information:

• Planned duration of employment: 1 year
• Extension: likely
• Home office: Yes 1 day per week
• Travel: No
• Team: 8-10 people
• Working hours: Standard

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Concept assessment and parameter determination: You analyze and evaluate new technologies and test them. Using your fluidic and physical expertise, you define and verify various parameter settings to achieve the desired pipetting performance for the specific application.
• Liquid Handling Solution Development: You will support the technical implementation of liquid handling solutions in the context of IVD product development. Using your fluidic and physical expertise, as well as computational fluid dynamics, you will assist design engineers in developing components, ensuring the design is optimized from a fluid engineering perspective. You will verify your simulations through experimentation.
• Feasibility studies: You initiate, lead and conduct feasibility studies in the field of liquid handling to meet technical requirements and minimize risks.
• Test bench development: You define the required test benches for feasibility studies and parameter determination. In collaboration with the mechanical and electronic design engineers and the software engineers, you commission the test benches and program the necessary software processes.

Must Haves:

• Completed studies, Bachelor or Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Fluid Dynamics
• 1-3 years of experience with CFD software and techniques to simulate complex fluidic flows, including grid generation, simulation and post-processing
• Strong analytical skills and an independent and structured approach to analyzing and solving complex problems
• Enjoyment of experimental fluid dynamics and a hands-on approach to test setups to confirm theories and verify the performance of the setups
• Ability to program complex test sequences in Python and C#, and to use modern AI tools such as Gemini or Claude Code to develop efficient solutions
• You want to work in international, cross-functional teams and exchange ideas with other experts.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in German and English.