Senior Mechanical Engineer

Waters Corporation; Milford (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Waters Corporation is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to join our Instrumentation Research Group in Milford, MA. You will lead mechanical design for research-stage liquid chromatography, microfluidic, and bioscience instrumentation, from concept through prototype demonstration, collaborating across scientists, chemists, and software engineers to deliver robust hardware solutions.

The role emphasizes hands-on prototype development, thermal and fluidic analysis, and mentorship of junior

Qualifications

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering or MS with 3+ years in research, advanced development, or instrumentation-focused engineering environments.
• Strong interdisciplinary engineering background with experience on complex systems in research or advanced development environments.
• Demonstrated success in design and development of precision mechanical and/or fluidic systems.
• Hands-on experience with prototype development, testing, troubleshooting, and iterative design refinement.

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 and sample handling components.
• Drive development of high-fidelity prototypes for early-stage concepts and feasibility studies.
• Perform mechanical, fluidic, and thermal analysis using FEA/CFD to guide design decisions.
• Collaborate with scientists and engineers across disciplines to translate research needs into robust hardware solutions.
• Assemble, test, troubleshoot, and refine prototypes in the lab using experimental data to improve performance.
• Document engineering work through reports, specifications, and design records.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a collaborative, inclusive environment.

Skills

Mechanical design

Prototype development

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Mentorship

Written communication

Education

PhD in Mechanical Engineering

MS with 3+ years

BS with 5+ years

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

FEA

CFD

MATLAB

LabVIEW

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.

We believe strongly in the value of diversity and creating supportive, inclusive environments where our colleagues can succeed. As such, Waters is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Company Description

Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT), the world's leading specialty measurement company, has pioneered chromatography, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials, and food sciences for more than 60 years. With more than 7,000 employees worldwide, Waters operates directly in 35 countries, including 15 manufacturing facilities, with products available in more than 100 countries. Our team focuses on creating business advantages for laboratory-dependent organizations to enable significant advancement in healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality.

Working at Waters enables our employees to unlock the potential of their careers. Our global team is driven by purpose. We strive to be better, learn and improve every day in everything we do. We’re the problem solvers and innovators that aren’t afraid to take risks to transform the world of human health and well-being. We’re all in it together delivering benefit as one to provide the insights needed today in order to solve the challenges of tomorrow.

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our core values at Waters Corporation. It is our responsibility to actively implement programs and practices to drive inclusive behavior and increase diversity across the organization. We are united by diversity and thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, our customers and our community. Waters is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or protected Veteran status.