Foresite Labs

Senior Mechanical Engineer, Machine Design

Foresite Labs • $130K — $140K *
San Diego, CA 92154In-Person
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related field
  • 5-8+ years of experience in precision machine design and related hardware
  • Strong foundation in tolerance analysis and error budgeting
  • Experience in thermal and fluid flow calculations
  • Proficiency in 3D CAD, particularly SolidWorks
  • Hands-on experience with hardware building and testing

Responsibilities

  • Lead design of precision mechanical systems and motion elements
  • Conduct tolerance stack-ups and apply GD&T for assemblies
  • Manage mechanical error budgets focusing on alignment and accuracy
  • Analyze mechanical properties such as stiffness and fatigue via FEA
  • Design thermal control systems and translate specifications to hardware
  • Develop fluid handling assemblies and perform flow calculations
  • Assemble and debug prototypes for multi-disciplinary systems

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work in a collaborative environment
  • Access to advanced engineering tools and software
  • Participation in innovative projects within the bioinstrumentation field
  • Engagement in hands-on work in a laboratory setting
  • Growth potential in a dynamic and evolving company
Full Job Description
Senior Mechanical Engineer, Machine Design

Location: San Diego, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

$130,000 - $140,000

Machine Design
  • Own the design of precision mechanical systems including frames, motion elements, fixtures, and actuation mechanisms
  • Perform tolerance stack-ups and define GD&T for precision assemblies
  • Develop and manage mechanical error budgets (alignment, motion accuracy).
  • Analyze stiffness, deflection, vibration, and fatigue using analytical methods and FEA
  • Design mechanisms that balance performance, cost, manufacturability, and reliability

Thermal Control Hardware
  • Design thermal control systems including heaters, heat exchangers, insulation, cold plates, airflow systems, and structural thermal paths
  • Translate temperature stability and uniformity requirements into hardware specifications
  • Perform thermal modeling and first-principles heat transfer calculations (conduction, convection, radiation)
  • Develop and maintain thermal error budgets (drift, gradients, response time)
  • Collaborate with electrical and firmware engineers on sensor placement and control strategy integration

Fluid Control Hardware Design
  • Design fluid handling assemblies including manifolds, tubing routing, fittings, valves, pumps, and reservoirs
  • Perform flow calculations (pressure drop, flow rate, Reynolds number)
  • Support material selection for chemical compatibility and biocompatibility
  • Integrate fluidic subsystems with thermal and mechanical assemblies
  • Develop leak testing and validation strategies

Analysis & Validation
  • Build structured analytical models to predict mechanical, thermal, and fluidic performance
  • Maintain subsystem-level error budgets (mechanical, thermal stability, flow accuracy)
  • Design and execute validation testing for temperature stability, fluid accuracy, drift, and mechanical robustness
  • Perform structured root cause analysis when performance targets are not met
  • Support DFMEA and risk assessment activities

Prototyping & Integration
  • Assemble and debug mechanical, thermal, and fluidic prototypes
  • Instrument systems for temperature, flow, and mechanical performance measurement
  • Iterate quickly based on test results and integration feedback
  • Support alpha and beta system builds

Manufacturing & Documentation
  • Create detailed mechanical drawings with proper GD&T
  • Participate in DFM/DFA reviews
  • Work with vendors on machined, sheet metal, molded, and fluidic components
  • Support transition from prototype to low-volume production


Qualifications

Required
  • B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related field
  • 5-8+ years of experience in precision machine design, thermal systems, and/or fluid handling hardware
  • Strong foundation in tolerance analysis and error budgeting
  • Experience performing thermal and fluid flow calculations
  • Proficiency in 3D CAD (e.g. SolidWorks)
  • Hands-on experience building and testing hardware

Preferred
  • Experience in bioinstrumentation, medical devices, diagnostics, or scientific equipment
  • Experience designing closed-loop temperature-controlled systems
  • Experience with microfluidic or low-volume reagent handling systems
  • Familiarity with FEA tools for structural and thermal analysis
  • Experience selecting materials for chemical compatibility
  • Experience supporting early-stage production builds


What We're Looking For
  • Analytical thinker who quantifies performance limits and tradeoffs
  • Strong mechanical fundamentals with systems-level intuition
  • Comfortable owning subsystems end-to-end
  • Hands-on builder who enjoys working in the lab
  • Clear communicator across electrical, firmware, fluidics, and systems teams

About Foresite Labs

Foresite Labs is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage healthcare and life sciences companies. The firm was founded in 2019 by Jim Tananbaum, a healthcare entrepreneur and investor. Foresite Labs is a subsidiary of Foresite Capital, a leading healthcare investment firm. The firm's portfolio includes companies in the areas of biotechnology, medical devices, digital health, and healthcare services. Foresite Labs provides funding, strategic guidance, and operational support to its portfolio companies. The firm is based in San Francisco, California.
Learn more about Foresite Labs
Industry
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Founded
2019
* Ladders Estimates

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