Engineering Technician

Unchained Labs; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Unchained Labs is seeking a test-focused engineer to lead the testing efforts for a product line from design to verification. You will collaborate with scientists, software developers, and hardware engineers to validate prototypes and ensure robust stability before release.

You will develop test methods, analyze results, and document findings while working on-site at the Pleasanton office most days to support lab and prototype development activities.

Qualifications

• 1 to 3 years of relevant engineering experience.
• Experience with CAD and familiarity with PDM systems.
• Hands-on experience with machine shop equipment and tools.
• Experience with wiring and soldering.
• Experience integrating electronics with mechanical systems.
• Experience with life science tools is a plus.
• Experience with firmware, software, or scripting is a plus.
• Excellent documentation, organizational, teamwork, troubleshooting, problem solving, and communication skills.
• Be flexible and ready when the going gets tough to help us meet customer needs.

Responsibilities

• Apply engineering principles and independent judgment to develop and evaluate prototypes supporting next-generation products across the organization.
• Develop test methods, experimental plans, and acceptance criteria to evaluate prototype performance and reliability.
• Analyze test results, investigate complex technical failures, and recommend design or process changes based on engineering findings.
• Design and improve prototype fixtures, tooling, and assembly methods to address product development challenges.
• Evaluate engineering lab and prototype shop capabilities; recommend equipment, methods, and process improvements to support development priorities.
• Create engineering documentation, including test protocols, technical reports, design recommendations, and supporting analyses.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to evaluate technical alternatives and resolve product development issues.
• Perform prototype assembly, modifications, and testing in support of assigned engineering investigations.
• Unchained Labs supports a flexible work schedule. This role requires an on-site presence at our Pleasanton office most days to support laboratory and prototype development activities.

Skills

Documentation

Teamwork

Troubleshooting

Communication

Problem solving

Tools

CAD

PDM systems

Machine shop equipment

Wiring & soldering

Electronics integration

Firmware/ scripting

Job description

Here’s the deal. We’re all about helping researchers break free from tools that just don’t cut it. Unleashing problem tackling products that make a huge difference in the real science our customers do every day. And we’re growing! This is your chance to join an awesome, growing and fast-paced group developing unbelievably cool life science products! We thrive on moving fast, taking risks and persevering through failure. We embrace the unknown and we are happy to make mistakes. We are there for each other and we crave diversity because we know that building a truly diverse tribe will make us better at everything.

The Job

Join a cool, fun team as we work together with top-notch scientists, software developers, and hardware engineers to build next-generation science tools. Stand out amongst your peers by leading the testing efforts on one of the product lines from start to finish. Get a great opportunity to play with small size analytical instruments to large size workflow instruments while verifying and validating next generation software. We dig in and test hard, ensuring rock-solid stability before products reach the lab. If you love the joy of the hunt, come join the effort to root out anything standing in the way of releasing a first-class product.

Responsibilities

• Apply engineering principles and independent judgment to develop and evaluate prototypes supporting next-generation products across the organization.
• Develop test methods, experimental plans, and acceptance criteria to evaluate prototype performance and reliability.
• Analyze test results, investigate complex technical failures, and recommend design or process changes based on engineering findings.
• Design and improve prototype fixtures, tooling, and assembly methods to address product development challenges.
• Evaluate engineering lab and prototype shop capabilities; recommend equipment, methods, and process improvements to support development priorities.
• Create engineering documentation, including test protocols, technical reports, design recommendations, and supporting analyses.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to evaluate technical alternatives and resolve product development issues.
• Perform prototype assembly, modifications, and testing in support of assigned engineering investigations.
• Unchained Labs supports a flexible work schedule. This role requires an on-site presence at our Pleasanton office most days to support laboratory and prototype development activities.

Qualifications

• 1 to 3 years of relevant engineering experience
• Experience using CAD & familiarity with using PDM systems
• Experience with machine shop equipment and tools
• Experience with wiring & soldering
• Experience in integration of electronics with mechanical systems
• Experience working on life science tools is a plus
• Experience with firmware, software, or script writing is a plus
• Excellent documentation, organizational, teamwork, troubleshooting, problem solving, and communication skills
• Be flexible and ready when the going gets tough to help us do whatever needs to get done to meet our customer’s needs

Compensation

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $70,000 - $80,000. This salary range is an estimate, and the actual base salary may vary based on the Company’s compensation practices. This role is also eligible for our annual bonus, comprehensive health and retirement benefit programs.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Unchained Labs’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.