Measurement System Engineer (f/m/d)

Softgarden; Darmstadt; On-site; EUR 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours

30 days vacation

Job summary

MAGNOTHERM is seeking a hands-on engineer to build, calibrate, and automate measurement devices for characterizing magnetocaloric materials. You will own the full stack from mechanical design to electronics and software, working closely with materials scientists to translate needs into reliable measurement tools.

The role emphasizes a strong practical attitude, automation, and collaboration in a startup-like environment in Darmstadt.

Qualifications

• 1+ years hands-on experience designing electronics-heavy measurement instrumentation.
• Experience integrating mechanical components with electronics (pumps, valves, motors, sensors).
• Programming for automation and data acquisition (Python, LabVIEW, C++, or similar).
• Diagnostic skills across electronic and mechanical systems.
• Hands-on, tinkerer’s attitude with a drive to automate tasks.

Responsibilities

• Design highly-automated measurement devices for material testing (mechanical + electronic components).
• Calibrate devices and ensure accuracy and traceability of measurements.
• Maintain & troubleshoot measurement fleet; upgrade as needed.
• Automate measurement sequences and data acquisition where possible.
• Collaborate with material development to translate needs into device requirements.

Skills

Electrical Engineering

Mechatronics

Automation

Python

LabVIEW

C++

English (C1+)

German (C1+)

Diagnostics

Hands-on tinkering

Education

B.Sc./B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering or Mechatronics

Tools

CAD

Soldering

Job description

Startdate

From 01.10.2026 onwards.

What you will be doing here

MAGNOTHERM builds refrigerant-free magnetocaloric cooling systems.

Our material development team is where the magnetocaloric materials at the heart of our technology get characterized, refined, and pushed further — and every step of that work depends on a measurement device accurate enough to trust and simple enough to use every day. No catalogue instrument does exactly what we need, so you build the ones that do: from the sensor and the circuit board behind it, through the control loop and the calibration, to the mechanical housing that holds it all together. If the material development team needs to measure the properties of our material, you’re the one who makes it possible.

What you’ll own

• Measurement device development & design. Design of highly-automated, measurement devices for material testing, via the combination of mechanical components (pumps, valves, motors,…) and electronic components (boards, sensors, control loops,…).
• Calibration & accuracy. Calibrate devices and establish the accuracy and traceability behind every number they produce
• Maintenance & troubleshooting. Keep the fleet of measurement devices running: troubleshoot faults, repair them, and upgrade them when necessary.
• Automation. Automate measurement sequences and data acquisition wherever manual work can be replaced by a script or a control loop.
• Collaboration with material development. Work directly with material scientists to understand what they need to measure, translate that into device requirements, and iterate based on their feedback.

What you would ideally bring to the table

Must-have skills & experience

• 1+ years of relevant hands‑on experience, or a strong graduate profile with proven ability - through thesis work, projects, or your own builds - to design and build electronics-heavy measurement instrumentation. Degrees in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation or similar are preferred.
• Solid experience with integrating mechanical components (such as pumps, valves, motors) and electronics (sensors, circuit boards, control loops).
• Programming experience for automation and data acquisition (Python, LabVIEW, C++, or similar), better if acquired without AI assistance.
• Diagnostic skills across electronic and mechanical systems.
• A genuine hands‑on, tinkerer’s attitude — you’d rather automate a task than repeat it by hand.
• Creativity and strong problem-solving skills.
• Good communication and presentation skills.
• English language skills (C1+), German language skills (C1+).

Nice to have

• Experience with CAD for mechanical design.
• Experience with soldering (also basic is accepted)
• Experience in materials science, practical testing, or in R&D lab environments.
• Rapid prototyping skills (3D printing, machining, workshop tools).
• Solid project management fundamentals: structured workflow, ability to work autonomously as well as in a team.

What makes this role unusual

• You build what doesn’t exist yet. There’s no off-the-shelf instrument for measuring magnetocaloric material properties the way we need — you design and build tools that combine scientific accuracy with everyday ease of use, for a material class that will shape tomorrow’s cooling technologies.
• Full-stack ownership. Mechanical design, electronics, calibration, and automation sit in one role here.
• A tight feedback loop with discovery. You work side by side with the material scientists who push the technology forward — what you build directly shapes what they can find.

What you will get from the job

• Flexible hours and 30 days of vacation.
• Compensation aligned with startup standards, with room to grow as the company scales.
• A team that’s sharp, interdisciplinary, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
• The chance to pioneer technology that actually helps the planet.
• Ownership, responsibility, and a culture where learning from mistakes is expected.
• A front-row seat as a deep-tech company scales.
• Memes. Good ones. And lots of them.

PS: We are a big fan of cover letters. They don’t need to be long, but getting the general idea of who you are and what motivates you helps in the application selection. A portfolio of work you can share externally is also welcome.

About us

We believe in science; we believe in facts. Climate change is speeding up more than ever and we need to do something about it. We are convinced that we need better technologies to overcome this tremendous challenge – or more precisely: this tremendous threat to humanity. We are on a mission to decarbonize the refrigeration industry and reduce its contribution of 7% to global greenhouse gas emissions.

Support us in making our vision a reality – join us!

We are material scientists, chemists, physicists, a lot of engineers as well as product and graphic designers. We are an agile team of bright minds with diverse and international backgrounds. We love hanging out together, we argue about new technologies, politics, the best sport, and food trends. Basically, we are human.

MAGNOTHERMis an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are open to all groups of people without regard to age, color, national origin, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristics.

Do I need to meet all the requirements to apply?

Studiesby several different sources have shown that, on average, men will apply for a job if they meet 60% of the application requirements. In contrast, women/non-binary people will seek to match a much higher percentage of the requirements before applying.
We encourage everyone to apply and give us a chance to evaluate your skills and experience. We are all learning on the job, and although the listing above has been carefully compiled, we are also open-minded and interested to hear about the value you can bring to the role and MAGNOTHERM.

How can I demonstrate that I have particular needs in the application process?

For people living with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or neurodiversity, adjustments and support can make a decisive difference in the application process. If you need any specific accommodations (tools, time, etc.) and feel comfortable disclosing this, please let us know.