Engineering Technician

Unchained Labs
Pleasanton, CA
On-siteCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Best suited to hands-on engineers with mechanical and electronics integration experience working in life science product development.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with mechanical engineering experience and a passion for life science tools
    — “Experience working on life science tools is a plus”
  • Individuals who thrive in fast-paced, collaborative environments with a focus on innovation
    — “We thrive on moving fast, taking risks and persevering through failure”
  • Professionals who enjoy problem-solving and are comfortable with iterative design and testing
    — “We embrace the unknown and we are happy to make mistakes”

Things to consider

  • Most days require on-site presence at the Pleasanton office despite flexible work options
    — “on-site presence at our Pleasanton office most days”
  • The role involves a mix of mechanical, electronic, and software integration tasks
    — “integration of electronics with mechanical systems”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with CAD, PDM systems, and machine shop tools on your resume
    — “Experience using CAD & familiarity with using PDM systems”
  • Emphasize your ability to troubleshoot and solve complex technical issues
    — “investigate complex technical failures and recommend design or process changes”
  • Showcase your experience with prototype testing and validation processes
    — “develop test methods, experimental plans, and acceptance criteria”
  • Demonstrate your ability to create detailed engineering documentation
    — “Create engineering documentation, including test protocols, technical reports”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • develop and evaluate prototypes
  • analyze test results
  • investigate technical failures
  • design and improve prototype fixtures
  • evaluate engineering lab capabilities
Typical background
Engineering TechnicianMechanical Engineer

Skills & requirements

Required

Engineering PrinciplesIndependent JudgmentDeveloping And Evaluating PrototypesAnalyzing Test ResultsInvestigating Technical FailuresDesigning And Improving Prototype FixturesEvaluating Engineering Lab CapabilitiesCreating Engineering DocumentationCollaborating With Engineering TeamsPerforming Prototype Assembly And Testing

Preferred

Working On Life Science ToolsFirmwareSoftwareScript Writing

Stack & domain

CADPDM SystemsMachine Shop EquipmentWiringSolderingElectronics IntegrationFirmwareSoftwareScript WritingLeadershipCommunicationLife ScienceEngineering

About the role

Original posting from Unchained Labs via Greenhouse

Job Description: Engineering Technician

The Top Line

Here’s the deal. We’re all about helping researchers break free from tools that just don’t cut it. Unleashing problem tackling products that make a huge difference in the real science our customers do every day. And we’re growing! This is your chance to join an awesome, growing and fast-paced group developing unbelievably cool life science products! We thrive on moving fast, taking risks and persevering through failure. We embrace the unknown and we are happy to make mistakes. We are there for each other and we crave diversity because we know that building a truly diverse tribe will make us better at everything.

The Job

Join a cool, fun team as we work together with top-notch scientists, software developers, and hardware engineers to build next-generation science tools. Stand out amongst your peers by leading the testing efforts on one of the product lines from start to finish.  Get a great opportunity to play with small size analytical instruments to large size workflow instruments while verifying and validating next generation software. We dig in and test hard, ensuring rock-solid stability before products reach the lab.  If you love the joy of the hunt, come join the effort to root out anything standing in the way of releasing a first-class product.

Responsibilities

Apply engineering principles and independent judgment to develop and evaluate prototypes supporting next-generation products across the organization.

Develop test methods, experimental plans, and acceptance criteria to evaluate prototype performance and reliability.

Analyze test results, investigate complex technical failures, and recommend design or process changes based on engineering findings.

Design and improve prototype fixtures, tooling, and assembly methods to address product development challenges.

Evaluate engineering lab and prototype shop capabilities; recommend equipment, methods, and process improvements to support development priorities.

Create engineering documentation, including test protocols, technical reports, design recommendations, and supporting analyses.

Collaborate with engineering teams to evaluate technical alternatives and resolve product development issues.

Perform prototype assembly, modifications, and testing in support of assigned engineering investigations.

Unchained Labs supports a flexible work schedule. This role requires an on-site presence at our Pleasanton office most days to support laboratory and prototype development activities.

Qualifications

1 to 3 years of relevant engineering experience

Experience using CAD & familiarity with using PDM systems

Experience with machine shop equipment and tools

Experience with wiring & soldering

Experience in integration of electronics with mechanical systems

Experience working on life science tools is a plus

Experience with firmware, software, or script writing is a plus

Excellent documentation, organizational, teamwork, troubleshooting, problem solving, and communication skills

Be flexible and ready when the going gets tough to help us do whatever needs to get done to meet our customer’s needs

Compensation

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $70,000 - $80,000. This salary range is an estimate, and the actual base salary may vary based on the Company’s compensation practices. This role is also eligible for our annual bonus, comprehensive health and retirement benefit programs.

US Jobs must have pay transparency on all JD'sUS pay range$70,000—$80,000 USD

Source: Unchained Labs careers (Greenhouse)

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