Mechanical Engineer - Life Sciences Instrumentation

NIF; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Benefits package

Job summary

Portal Biotech is seeking an early‑career Mechanical Engineer to join the Hardware team in White City, London. You will design, build, and test mechanical components and prototypes, develop microfluidic and thermal management solutions, and support scaling for manufacturing.

You will work cross‑functionally with internal teams and external partners to deliver robust instruments. The role requires a degree in Mechanical Engineering, proficiency in CAD tools (SolidWorks/Creo), and experience with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Proficiency in CAD software (SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent).
• Experience using mechanical, thermal and fluid analysis tools (FEA, CFD, thermal modelling).
• Experience designing systems and subassemblies and building device prototypes.
• Design of parts for manufacture for CNC, sheet metal, and 3D printing.

Responsibilities

• Design, simulate, build, and test mechanical components and assemblies.
• Develop microfluidic, electromechanical, and thermal management solutions, including integration of electronics, optics and fluidics.
• Conduct structural, thermal, and fluid dynamics simulation analyses to optimise performance.
• Support product development from concept through to manufacturing including DfM and DfA.
• Develop test methods and execute experiments to validate mechanical designs and system performance.
• Help maintain instrument stock as required (upgrades, repairs, compliance checks).
• Interface with vendors and manufacturing partners to ensure high quality production of products incorporating mechanical components.
• Produce engineering drawings and BOMs, document designs, processes, and test results in compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Protection of intellectual property arising from your work.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Prototype development

DFM / DFA

3D printing

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

ANSYS / COMSOL

CAD / CAM

Job description

About Portal Biotech

Portal Biotech is developing next‑generation bench‑top instruments for proteomics, building on decades of in‑house expertise in nanopore technology. By analysing full‑length protein molecules at the single‑molecule level, our platform delivers rapid, real‑time information on protein identity, abundance, and structure. This insight opens frontiers in drug discovery, diagnostics, and fundamental research, helping scientists and clinicians to better understand human health and disease.

About the Role:

We are seeking a highly motivated, early career stage mechanical engineer, including graduates, to join our Hardware team. Based in our headquarters in Scale Space, White City, London, and reporting to the Instrument Team Leader, this primarily on‑site role will involve designing and building components, subassemblies, and fully assembled prototypes as well as developing solutions to enable scaling of common laboratory processes. In this endeavour you will work cross‑functionally on ambitious objectives with other teams and external partners.

Key responsibilities

• - Design, simulate, build, and test mechanical components and assemblies.
• - Develop microfluidic, electromechanical, and thermal management solutions, including integration of electronics, optics and fluidics.
• - Conduct structural, thermal, and fluid dynamics simulation analyses to optimise performance.
• - Support product development from concept through to manufacturing including design for manufacturability (DfM) and design for assembly (DfA).
• - Develop test methods and execute experiments to validate mechanical designs and system performance.
• - Help maintain instrument stock as required (carry out upgrades, repairs, compliance checks).
• - Interface with vendors and manufacturing partners to ensure high quality production of products incorporating mechanical components.
• - Produce engineering drawings and BOMs, document designs, processes, and test results in compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• - Protection of intellectual property (designs and patents) arising from your work.

Qualification Required:

• - Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field (e.g., automation).
• - Proficiency in CAD software (SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent).
• - Experience using mechanical, thermal and fluid analysis tools (FEA, CFD, thermal modelling) e.g., ANSYS, COMSOL.
• - Experience of designing systems and subassemblies and building device prototypes..
• - Design of parts for manufacture for CNC, sheet metal, and 3D printing.

Desirable:

• - 1-3 years industrial experience, preferably in life sciences instrumentation or medical devices.
• - Design of parts for manufacture for injection moulding.
• - Experience of producing engineering drawings with GD&T according to ASME Y14.5 or ISO GPS standards.
• - Tolerance stack analysis of assemblies to ensure fit and function.
• - Practical experience with rapid prototyping, e.g. 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC milling.
• - Familiarity with microfluidics and the control of processes using electronic devices and software.
• - Familiarity with quality management systems and regulations ISO 9001.

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package. If you are passionate about developing cutting‑edge scientific tools and want to contribute to breakthrough innovations in proteomics,

Data Protection Statement

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your personal data will be processed by Portal Biotech Limited. For more information on how we handle your personal data, including your rights and how to contact us, please review our Privacy Notice at https://portalbiotech.com/gdpr.