Principal Mechanical Engineer

TA Instruments; New Castle (DE); On-site; USD 117,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Waters Corporation’s Materials Sciences Division seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead design of rheology instruments. You will develop mechanical concepts, prototype rapidly, and drive integration across mechanical, electrical, controls, and software to meet product milestones for advanced materials characterization systems.

Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, you will validate designs, perform simulations, and document BOMs, drawings, and procedures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 6–10 years in a research and development or relevant environment.
• Prototype design, test and analysis experience in materials characterization instrumentation.
• Experience with automation and AI tools to accelerate development.
• 3D modelling with SolidWorks; GD&T and PDM workflows.
• Strong communication and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Conceive and develop mechanical design concepts to meet customer and business requirements.
• Prototype and evaluate concepts rapidly; identify risks early and develop targeted test plans.
• Propose and conduct simulations; perform calculations and justification as needed.
• Communicate status, results, and next steps with clarity and impact.
• Drive integration of system components (mechanical, electronics, controls, and coding) into prototypes to meet milestones.
• Participate in and lead design reviews with a multidisciplinary team.
• Collaborate with product management on technical ideation strategies to maintain competitive advantage.
• Ensure full documentation of mechanical design including BOM, drawings, and procedures.

Skills

Prototype design

3D modelling

GD&T

Design of Experiments

Simulations

Fabrication/assembly

Statistical analysis

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SolidWorks

Ansys

Matlab

PDM

Job description

Principal Mechanical Engineer

Req. #: 28906

Job Family: DE - Development Engineering

Location: US

Pay Range Minimum: USD $117,000.00

Pay Range Maximum: USD $195,000.00

Waters Corporation is always looking to hire outstanding future talent for our company. This is a phenomenal opportunity to gain real-world experience while working at the world's leading specialty measurement company in the field of materials characterization. Our products have many wide-ranging applications to explore; more can be found at www.tainstruments.com

Global Impact: With operations in over 35 countries and a global team of over 8,000, our work goes beyond the life sciences. We contribute to ensuring the safety of food and water, advancing new materials and technology, including batteries for electric vehicles, aerospace, and semiconductors.

Working in the R&D organization at Waters Material Sciences Division. You will have a unique opportunity to impact a broad range of industries, including Semiconductors, Electric Cars, 3D Printing, Energy Storage and Batteries, Pharmaceutical developments, and Polymers.

You will play a key role in driving innovation and developing concepts for new measurement technologies in material characterization, working with a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers.

Using your Mechanical Engineering domain expertise, you will innovate the next generation of Rheology products and apply your engineering experience to support our customers' needs across all WMS product lines.

Through rapid prototyping and concept evaluation, you will close knowledge gaps and retire risks, support priority new product development and research projects, and collaborate across business functions to deliver solutions that meet market and customer needs.

Typical tasks of the position include, but are not limited to

• Conceive and develop mechanical design concepts to meet the customer and business requirements
• Prototype and evaluate concepts rapidly, identify risks early, and develop targeted test plans for efficient mitigation and rapid development cycles
• Propose and conduct simulations where relevant and perform necessary calculations and justification
• Communicate status, results, conclusions, and next steps with clarity, highlighting impact and actionable plans
• Drive integration of system components (mechanical, electronics, controls, and coding) into prototypes to meet milestones
• Participate and lead design reviews and provide feedback where appropriate in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team
• Work with Product management leads on technical ideation strategies and solutions to maintain competitive advantage
• Communicate concerns/suggestions/improvements relating to engineering concerns and product life cycle
• Ensure full documentation of mechanical design including BOM, drawings, and procedures

The successful candidate will have a combination of knowledge, skills, and experience that would include the following

Education

• Minimum Bachelor's Degree, 6-10 years of experience in a research and development or relevant environment

Experience

• Prototype design, test and analysis, ideally in the development of materials characterization and testing instrumentation products and systems
• Design and implementation of automation solutions and familiarity with the use of AI tools to accelerate development
• Design of Experiments and Root Cause Analysis methodology
• Extensive experience with 3D modelling (SolidWorks preferred)
• PDM and change process experience
• GD&T knowledge and experience

Skills

• Strong interpersonal and technical communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities
• Organizational skills and the ability to work on multiple projects
• Understanding of principles of physics and mechanical engineering disciplines (thermodynamics, structural mechanics and fluid dynamics principles)
• Experience in designing for thermal and mechanical stress and reliability, transducer design and operation, basic control principles
• Strong Materials Science knowledgeand familiar with testing principles and techniques
• Proficient in statistical data analysis, technical presentation, and clear communication of results.
• Well versed in simulation tools for mechanical and thermal problems, preferably Ansys/Matlab
• Proven Design for Manufacturing and some hands‑on experience of fabrication/assembly techniques and working with machinists
• Please ensure that you will be near the location to which you are applying, as in‑person engagement will be required for this role

Company Description

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) is a global leader in life sciences and diagnostics, dedicated to accelerating the benefits of pioneering science through analytical technologies, informatics, and service. With a focus on regulated, high‑volume testing environments, our innovative portfolio harnesses deep scientific expertise across chemistry, physics, and biology. We collaborate with customers around the world to advance the release of effective, high‑quality medicines, ensure the safety of food and water, and drive better patient outcomes by detecting diseases earlier, managing routine infections, and combating antibiotic resistance. Through a shared culture of relentless innovation, our passionate team of ~16,000 colleagues turn scientific challenges into breakthroughs that improve lives worldwide.

Waters Materials Sciences Division is the part of Waters Corporation that is focused on materials characterization, formerly known as the TA Instruments business. It provides instrumentation, software, and services for understanding how materials behave under thermal, mechanical, and flow conditions to give insights into new material and product capabilities

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our core values at Waters Corporation. It benefits our employees, our products, our customers and our community. Waters complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, marital status (including civil unions), military service, veteran status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, legally recognized disability, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Waters is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.