Senior Materials Engineer – On-Site, Life Sciences

Cepheid; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Cepheid, a Danaher operating company, is seeking a Senior Materials Engineer to support the long-term performance and manufacturability of materials used in molecular diagnostic systems. You will apply materials science, failure analysis, and problem-solving to improve safety, quality, and cost performance across production platforms, reporting to the Component Engineering Manager in Sunnyvale, CA.

You will lead material investigations, qualify components, and drive supplier and process changes

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 5 years of experience in materials engineering, manufacturing support, or product sustainment in regulated environments.
• Experience with polymers, elastomers, adhesives, films, coatings, or molded components in commercial products.
• Experience performing material characterization and root-cause analysis using FTIR, DSC, TGA, SEM, EDS, microscopy, or mechanical testing.
• Experience with change management and documentation in quality-controlled settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical investigations and root-cause analyses for material-related issues across molecular diagnostic platforms.
• Evaluate and qualify materials to ensure compatibility with chemistries and manufacturing robustness.
• Implement material, supplier, component, and process changes to support lifecycle management and supply continuity.
• Develop material specifications, test methods, qualification protocols, and QMS records.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to drive continuous improvement and ensure GMP/FDA/ISO compliance.

Skills

Materials Science

Polymer Science

Chemistry

Mechanical Engineering

Quality Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field

Tools

FTIR

DSC

TGA

SEM

EDS

Microscopy

Job description

Cepheid, a Danaher operating company, is seeking a Senior Materials Engineer to support the long-term performance and manufacturability of materials used in molecular diagnostic systems. You will apply materials science, failure analysis, and problem-solving to improve safety, quality, and cost performance across production platforms, reporting to the Component Engineering Manager in Sunnyvale, CA.

You will lead material investigations, qualify components, and drive supplier and process changes