Hardware Engineer – Biotech Instruments

esBiolab 

📍 San Diego, United States 🇺🇸

full-time
mid-level
on-site
Posted —

Key Skills

FirmwareCADPrototypingMicrocontrollersMotion

Industry

Medical DevicesConsumer Electronics

Job Description

About the Role

We are seeking a hands-on Hardware Engineer to join our multi-disciplinary engineering team. In this role, you will design, prototype, and scale the physical and embedded architectures of our automated biotechnology and life science instruments.

Key Responsibilities

  • Electromechanical Integration: Design and integrate electromechanical subsystems for biotechnology and life science instruments, including motion stages, actuators, sensors, fluidic components, and optical systems.
  • Firmware Development: Develop, test, and debug embedded firmware for motion control, sensor data acquisition, instrument automation, and microcontrollers.
  • Mechanical Design & Prototyping: Create detailed mechanical designs using CAD software, and hands-on manufacture mechanical parts utilizing CNC machining and 3D printing technologies.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with cross-functional teams (including biology, chemistry, optics, and software) to ensure seamless system performance and assay compatibility.
  • System Bring-Up: Support prototype builds, system bring-up, calibration, and rigorous verification testing.
  • Troubleshooting: Diagnose and resolve complex hardware–firmware interactions in integrated life science instruments.
  • Design Optimization: Active contributor to design reviews, risk assessments, and the continuous improvement of our hardware architecture.

Required Qualifications

  • Education: Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation, Biomedical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
  • Embedded Programming: Direct experience in firmware development (C/C++) for microcontrollers (e.g., STM32, TI MSP430, ARM Cortex) and common communication protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN bus).
  • CAD & Prototyping Expertise: Proven proficiency with SolidWorks for 3D modeling, assembly design, and drafting engineering blueprints. Extensive hands-on experience with CNC machining and 3D printing.
  • Hardware & Electronics: Familiarity with PCB design, hardware bring-up, and developing custom test fixtures.
  • Automation Experience: Strong understanding of motion control fundamentals, hardware feedback loops, encoder integration, and multi-axis coordination.

Preferred Qualifications

  • 1–3 years of professional engineering experience within the medical device, life sciences, or diagnostics instrumentation industry.
  • Familiarity with liquid handling systems, microfluidics, or optical detection mechanisms.
  • Experience interfacing embedded hardware with high-level software architectures or desktop analytics suites.

Benefits (for full-time positions only):

  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Dental insurance
  • Flexible spending account
  • Health insurance
  • Health savings account
  • Life insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Retirement plan
  • Vision insurance

Work Location: In person