(Senior / Principal) Hardware Engineer

Capable Labs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity options

Wellness budget

Healthcare coverage

HSA/FSA/401K

Daily meals

Job summary

Capable Labs in San Francisco is seeking a technical leader to own the physical systems behind our drug-development platform. You will guide system architecture and remain hands-on through prototyping and validation, shaping how Capable designs, tests, and improves reliable hardware.

You will collaborate with chemists, biologists, and software teams to decide what to automate next, while building clear standards, documentation, and development workflows for a growing hardware function.

Qualifications

• Experience owning complex physical systems from unclear requirements to validated hardware.
• Hands-on debugging and root-cause analysis across hardware and processes.
• Ability to make architectural tradeoffs and fast tests to resolve risks.
• Clear technical communication and cross-functional leadership without losing touch with hardware.

Responsibilities

• Own system architecture and technical direction for lab automation or drug-delivery hardware.
• Design and integrate fluidic, electromechanical, sensing, control, and UI subsystems.
• Solve design and integration problems on flow paths, sealing, materials, actuation, thermal control, dose accuracy.
• Define test strategies, acceptance criteria, and failure-analysis methods.
• Build and debug critical prototypes while guiding collaborators and vendors.
• Partner with chemists, biologists, and software teams to decide what to automate next.
• Establish engineering standards, docs, component choices, and workflows.

Skills

Mechanical design

Electrical systems

Fluidics

Controls

Automation

Laboratory instrumentation

Root-cause analysis

Technical communication

Job description

We are a vibrant and intensely mission-driven team in San Francisco, comprising members from MIT, Harvard Medical School, Roche, ETH, and Dana-Farber.

We value speed and rigor, coupled with excitement, drive, and a strong work ethic. In an early-stage environment, we value people who can bring clarity to open-ended problems, take ownership of the next steps, and follow through with energy.

Capable Labs is a place for ambitious, high-integrity people who want to become dramatically better. You will be surrounded by people who care intensely about the work, get close feedback from the people making scientific and company-defining decisions, and have room to own increasingly important problems.

We believe excellent work should be met with meaningful reward, ownership, and trust. Responsibility is earned through contribution, not title alone: anyone who demonstrates the judgment, rigor, and follow-through to move important work forward can earn meaningful scope.

About the Role

You will provide technical leadership for the physical systems behind Capable’s drug-development platform. Your work may span automated peptide synthesis, fluid handling, laboratory instrumentation, or subcutaneous drug delivery. You will own system architecture and the hardest cross-disciplinary decisions, remain hands‑on through prototype and validation, and help establish how Capable designs, tests, and improves reliable hardware.

Responsibilities

• Own system architecture and technical direction for laboratory-automation or drug-delivery hardware, from requirements through validated prototypes.


• Design and integrate fluidic, electromechanical, sensing, control, and user‑interface subsystems, balancing performance, reliability, safety, and speed of iteration.


• Resolve difficult design and integration problems involving flow paths, pressure, sealing, materials compatibility, actuation, thermal control, sensing, dose accuracy, carryover, priming, draining, or fault recovery.


• Define test strategies, acceptance criteria, and failure‑analysis methods that connect engineering performance to chemical or biological outcomes.


• Build and debug critical prototypes personally while guiding the work of collaborators, vendors, and future hardware teammates.


• Partner closely with chemists, biologists, and software collaborators to decide what to automate, instrument, or redesign next.


• Establish practical engineering standards, documentation, component choices, and development workflows for Capable’s growing hardware function.

Ideal Qualifications

• A strong record of owning complex physical systems from ambiguous requirements through working, tested hardware.


• Deep expertise in at least one relevant area—mechanical design, electrical systems, fluidics, controls, automation, medical devices, wearables, implantables, or laboratory instrumentation—and the judgment to work across the others.


• Exceptional hands‑on debugging and root‑cause analysis across hardware, controls, process conditions, and experimental outputs.


• The ability to make sound architectural tradeoffs, identify the highest‑risk assumptions, and design fast tests that resolve them.


• Clear technical communication and the ability to lead cross‑functional work without becoming removed from the hardware.


• We do not expect one person to have prior experience in every subsystem or application listed above.

Pay & Benefits

• In addition to the posted salary range, we offer generous equity options.


• Compensation will depend on the skills, experience, and scope of impact you bring. If your background, experience, or compensation needs fall outside this range, we are still open to a conversation based on the scope and impact you could bring.


• $500+ monthly wellness budget for training, supplements, coaching, recovery, or other tools that help you perform at your best.


• Healthcare: We offer a broad range of medical, dental, and vision coverage options, with Capable covering 100% of the base policy.


• You will also have access to HSA, FSA, and 401K plans.


• Healthy dinners with the team are provided daily.


• We support visa sponsorship where appropriate, including O-1, H-1B, J-1, TN, and other employment‑based pathways. Our team is already international, with members from Canada, Pakistan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, China, India, and the United States.

Equal Opportunity

Capable is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Capable is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.