Element Biosciences · 7 hours ago
Senior Staff Consumables Mechanical Engineer
San Diego, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$145K/yr - $189K/yr
10+ years expElement Biosciences is committed to empowering the scientific community, and they are seeking a Senior Staff Consumables Mechanical Engineer to lead the development of next-generation consumables for genomics instrumentation. This role involves driving innovation in microfluidics and ensuring designs are scalable for high-volume manufacturing.
BiotechnologyMedical DeviceLife ScienceGeneticsHealth Diagnostics
Responsibilities
Lead architecture and end-to-end development of biotech consumables, from concept and material selection through prototyping, verification, and transfer to high-volume manufacturing
Drive design of complex plastic and hybrid consumable assemblies integrating microfluidics, sample and library preparation workflows, and system-level interfaces
Define and execute design verification and validation strategies, including tolerance analysis, performance characterization, and reliability testing
Develop consumable solutions enabling precise fluid handling, reagent storage, mixing, metering, dosing, and delivery across complex assay workflows
Lead prototype development, test fixture design, and iterative evaluation to rapidly converge on robust solutions
Partner with Systems Engineering, Instrument Engineering, Chemistry, and Operations teams to ensure seamless integration between consumables, fluidics, optics, and instrument subsystems
Apply strong systems engineering principles to evaluate tradeoffs across consumable, instrument, assay, and manufacturing constraints
Identify technical risks early and drive structured root cause analysis and resolution across interdisciplinary teams
Establish best practices for consumable design, DFM/DFA, and development rigor across the organization
Provide technical mentorship and guidance to engineers and cross-functional partners working on consumables and fluidic systems
Lead external development and manufacturing partners, including tooling vendors, suppliers, and contract manufacturers
Drive technical alignment across internal teams including Systems Engineering, Assay Development, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain
Influence roadmap decisions by evaluating new technologies, materials, and design approaches
Support program execution by balancing technical priorities, timelines, and risk mitigation strategies
Maintain design control documentation, risk assessments, and development records in compliance with quality and regulatory requirements
Collaborate with Quality and Manufacturing teams to ensure robust design transfer and scalable production processes
Support continuous improvement activities through data-driven analysis and design iteration
Qualification
Required
Advanced degree in Engineering or related discipline required
10+ years of relevant industry experience in consumables, microfluidics, medical device, or life sciences instrument development
Demonstrated technical leadership on complex consumables or fluidic systems integrated with instrumentation platforms
Strong systems engineering mindset with experience balancing requirements across hardware, fluidics, assay, and manufacturing constraints
Injection molding and plastic manufacturing expertise, including over-molding, thermoforming, and multi-process assemblies
Extensive experience with consumable bonding techniques including laser welding, ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, fusion bonding, adhesives, and related methods
Deep knowledge of plastic and elastomer material selection for chemical compatibility, durability, and manufacturability
Strong experience in milli- and microfluidic consumable design for precision fluid handling and sample preparation workflows
Advanced SolidWorks proficiency with strong GD&T application and tolerance stack analysis
Experience applying FEA, DFMA, FMEA, and structured problem-solving methodologies
Hands-on prototyping experience including 3D printing, CNC machining, and soft tooling
Strong data analysis capabilities using JMP, R, Matlab or similar statistical tools
Must be able to lift 25 pounds
Preferred
PhD strongly preferred
Experience developing automated or semi-automated test platforms; Python or similar scripting experience preferred
Familiarity with fill-and-seal technologies and consumables used in biotech or diagnostic systems preferred
Benefits
Stock options
Discretionary annual bonus
No cost health insurance plans
401k with company match
Flexible paid time off
Company
Element Biosciences
Element Biosciences is a life science company that focuses on developing innovative genetic analysis tools.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Element Biosciences has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (6)
2024 (4)
2023 (6)
2022 (8)
2021 (1)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$678MKey Investors
Wellington ManagementVenrockForesite Capital,Venrock
2024-07-11Series D· $277M
2021-06-29Series C· $276M
2020-06-26Series B· $30M
Leadership Team
Danae Van Oene
Senior Vice President, Global Sales and Support
Edwin Hauw
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Product Management
Recent News
2026-01-22
Company data provided by crunchbase