Vivodyne-posted 18 days ago
Full-time • Mid Level
Onsite • Brisbane, CA
11-50 employees

As a Principal Mechanical Engineer at Vivodyne, you will be part of a multi-disciplinary team pushing the boundaries of automated, large-scale "organ-on-a-chip" robotics and related manufacturing systems. Your focus will be on developing and optimizing hardware and software that orchestrates robotic arms, embedded controllers, and microfluidic systems to enable high-throughput, high-precision biological workflows. This role requires expertise across hardware and software, but primarily hardware. From high-level motion control and machine vision to robotics programming and embedded firmware. You’ll work extensively with existing Python (less so with, C#, and C++) codebases, ensuring seamless system integration and performance. You are a mechanical design expert. Things like kinematic docking, 440 vs 316, FEA, and error budgets are very familiar to you. Your friends include McMaster-Carr, Misumi, and Grainger. Collaboration is key—you’ll engage with mechanical engineers, biologists, immunologists, AI scientists, and process engineers to design and refine automation workflows that drive breakthroughs. We’re looking for a problem solver comfortable working across multiple domains, thriving in a fast-paced, high-innovation environment that values continuous learning and technical excellence. This is a full-time, onsite role in San Francisco, where you’ll be designing, building, and testing some of the most advanced automation and high-throughput biology systems in the world.

  • Architect, design, and implement advanced automation systems, ranging from automated microfluidic manufacturing to high-precision mammalian cell culture platforms—all of which are mission-critical and highly visible both internally and externally.
  • Develop hardware and software systems that acquire and process data reliably, ensuring smooth handoffs to production through rigorous documentation, data acquisition, and analysis.
  • Embrace the dynamic nature of a rapidly growing startup, working across multiple projects and disciplines.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with Product leads, tissue engineers, microfluidics specialists, and AI researchers etc. to gather requirements, set technical objectives, and integrate new features into our robotics platforms.
  • Design and implement resilience mechanisms to ensure system robustness, enabling fault detection, fault recovery, and minimal downtime, while maintaining data integrity.
  • Proactively identify optimization opportunities, selecting priorities through engineering analysis and data-driven decision-making.
  • Communicate progress and findings to internal stakeholders—including mechanical engineers, data scientists, and senior leadership—through data-laden presentations and technical reports.
  • Bachelor’s degree (M.S. or Ph.D. preferred) in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field with a focus on microfluidics, tissue engineering, or lab automation at least six years of directly relevant industry experience.
  • Broad experience in hardware and, preferable, software design for automation, spanning off-the-shelf solutions and custom-built systems—you have developed complex automation workflows for production-level environments.
  • Proficiency in key hardware and software tools, including SolidWorks (expert-level, CAM experience is a plus), and at some exposure to Python/Matlab/C++/C#/Javascript/etc.
  • Hands-on experience with commonly used automation hardware, such as vision/camera systems (optics and/or optomechanical expertise is a plus), motion control, liquid handling, and pick-and-place robotics.
  • Highly knowledgeable in various Manufacturing Technologies, you know how things are made and which approaches fit a particular application
  • Biotech/lab automation or semiconductor robotics experience is a strong advantage.
  • Knowledge of microfluidics and fluid handling systems.
  • Experience integrating robotics with high-content imaging and confocal microscopy systems, optimizing workflows for advanced imaging pipelines.
  • Biology background or familiarity with cell and tissue engineering concepts is a significant plus, especially in handling biological samples.
  • Electronics/PCBA design or basic knowledge (reading schematic, troubleshooting interconnects), statistical analysis/data collection to inform design performance rigorously
  • High-Impact Mission – Play a pivotal role in transforming drug discovery and human therapeutics through advanced robotics and automation.
  • Multi-Disciplinary Exposure – Work alongside leading experts in robotics, AI, biology, and microfluidics, expanding your expertise in a truly collaborative setting.
  • Growth Opportunities – A fast-growing startup environment with significant autonomy, ownership, and influence over best practices in the intersection of biotech and robotics.
  • Innovative Culture – Join a team that prioritizes continuous learning, rigorous engineering and scientific standards, and bold problem-solving.
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