Senior Mechanical Engineer

Waters; Bellingham (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Waters is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead mechanical design for research-stage instrumentation, including liquid chromatography and microfluidic systems. You will develop mechanical, fluidic, and electro-mechanical subsystems and build high-fidelity prototypes to validate concepts.

The role requires hands-on prototyping, rigorous testing, and collaboration with scientists, chemists, biologists, and software engineers to deliver robust hardware solutions for bioscience workflows.

Qualifications

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering or MS with 3+ years in research or instrumentation environments.
• Experience designing precision mechanical and/or fluidic systems.
• Hands-on prototype development, testing and iterative design.
• Strong documentation and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design for research-stage instrumentation from concept to prototype.
• Develop mechanical, fluidic, and electro-mechanical subsystems.
• Create high-fidelity prototypes and conduct tests.
• Perform FEA/CFD analyses to guide decisions.
• Collaborate with scientists and engineers to translate needs.

Skills

3D CAD

SolidWorks

NX

FEA

CFD

GD&T

Prototyping

Collaboration

Education

PhD in Mechanical Eng

MS in Mechanical Eng

BS in Mechanical Eng

Tools

NX

FEA

CFD

Job description

Overview

You will be part of a collaborative team shaping the future of scientific instrumentation for applications across biopharma, biosciences, and advanced analytical workflows. With access to world-class scientists, research facilities, and multidisciplinary collaborators, you will help create enabling technologies that support new separations, sample handling approaches, microfluidic architectures, and bioscience workflows. This is a unique opportunity to influence foundational technology development and translate promising concepts into high-value instrumentation platforms.

Join our forward-thinking Instrumentation Research Group as a Senior Mechanical Engineer. You'll lead the development of innovative analytical systems and next-generation scientific instrumentation. We are committed to building a diverse team and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design efforts for research-stage liquid chromatography, microfluidic, and bioscience instrumentation from concept through prototype demonstration.
• Design and develop mechanical, fluidic, and electro-mechanical subsystems, including flow paths, microfluidic interfaces, sample handling components, precision assemblies, and thermal management features.
• Drive the development of high-fidelity prototypes for early-stage concepts, learning loops, and subsystem feasibility studies.
• Perform mechanical, fluidic, and thermal analysis using engineering fundamentals and simulation tools such as FEA to guide design decisions.
• Collaborate closely with scientists, chemists, biologists, electrical engineers, software engineers, and systems engineers to translate research needs into robust hardware solutions.
• Support the design of systems and components requiring careful consideration of dead volume, pressure tolerance, chemical compatibility, manufacturability, serviceability, and reliability.
• Assemble, test, troubleshoot, and refine prototypes in the lab, using experimental data to improve performance and inform future design rules.
• Contribute to ideation, concept generation, and technical scouting for emerging technologies in fluidics, separations, consumables, and bioscience workflows.
• Incorporate Voice of the Customer (VoC) and user workflow understanding into design decisions where appropriate.
• Document technical work through engineering reports, functional specifications, design records, and intellectual property disclosures.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a collaborative, inclusive, and innovation-driven team environment.

Qualifications

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering or related field, or M.S. with 3+ years, or B.S. with 5+ years in research, advanced development, or instrumentation-focused engineering environments. Advanced degree preferred.- Strong interdisciplinary engineering background with experience working on complex systems in research or advanced development environments.
• Demonstrated success in the design and development of precision mechanical and/or fluidic systems.
• Hands-on experience with prototype development, testing, troubleshooting, and iterative design refinement.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD, preferably SolidWorks; familiarity with NX is a plus.
• Experience with engineering analysis tools, including FEA and/or CFD.
• Familiarity with GD&T, tolerance analysis, and precision mechanical design practices.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively across technical disciplines.

Key Experience

• Experience in liquid chromatography, microfluidics, life science instrumentation, consumables, sample preparation, or bioscience-related hardware development.
• Experience designing components or subsystems involving fluid handling, valves, fittings, seals, manifolds, chip interfaces, cartridges, or low-volume flow paths.
• Familiarity with bio-compatible materials, chemically resistant materials, and design constraints associated with biological or analytical samples.
• Background in instrument miniaturization, precision assemblies, additive manufacturing, or advanced materials.
• Experience working alongside scientists in bioscience, analytical chemistry, or advanced technology development settings.
• Exposure to coding or data-analysis tools such as C++, Python, MATLAB, or LabVIEW is a plus.
• Familiarity with technical publications, patent generation, and structured documentation.

Desired Skills

• Strong technical curiosity and creativity in solving multidisciplinary engineering challenges.
• Ability to balance innovation with practical design considerations such as robustness, usability, and manufacturability.
• Independent work ethic with a proactive, hands-on approach to prototype development and problem solving.
• Strong collaboration and mentorship skills.
• Clear decision-making and analytical thinking in ambiguous research environments.
• Advanced analytical and decision-making abilities.

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