Staff Systems Design Engineer - Consumables / Microfluidics

Thermo Fisher Scientific • Pleasanton, CA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Genetic Sciences Division develops life-science platforms integrating instruments, consumables, assays, software and data. The Staff Engineer in Consumables & Microfluidics will lead the design and commercialization of next-generation consumables for molecular biology, genetic-analysis and sample-to-answer workflows. The role integrates fluid handling, materials, reagents and instrument interfaces to meet scientific performance, usability, manufacturability, reliability and cost requirements. It calls for demonstrated success taking microfluidic consumables beyond prototypes into commercially manufactured products, combining hands-on engineering with practical knowledge of suppliers, tooling, manufacturing processes and unit economics.

The position leads consumable and microfluidic architecture development, materials and manufacturing innovation, commercialization and supplier partnerships, and integration with automated sample-to-answer workflows. It also applies modeling, data, AI and experimentation to technical and manufacturing decisions, leads root-cause investigations, defines requirements and test methods, establishes reusable design principles, and mentors engineers and scientists.

This is a fully onsite role at the Pleasanton, California facility. Relocation assistance is not provided. The estimated California salary range is $135,900–$181,200, with possible eligibility for a variable annual bonus based on company, team and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy.

Requirements

• Master’s degree or PhD in mechanical engineering, bioengineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science or a related discipline.
• Industry experience commercializing microfluidic consumables for molecular biology, diagnostics or related life-science applications.
• Proven success taking consumables from concept through tooling, manufacturing scale-up, design transfer and launch.
• Experience developing cost-effective products for repeat production, not only research prototypes or low-volume devices.
• Experience working with assay development, engineering, operations, quality, sourcing and external manufacturers.
• Experience in regulated or highly quality-controlled product-development environments.
• Strong knowledge of microfluidics, fluid transport, thermal systems and consumable architecture.
• Experience integrating consumables with molecular biology assays, reagents, instruments and workflows.
• Knowledge of polymers, adhesives, coatings, membranes, surface properties and biological compatibility.
• Direct experience with relevant high-volume manufacturing, bonding, assembly and inspection processes.
• Strong understanding of tooling, tolerances, process capability, yield and manufacturing economics.
• Ability to make design trade-offs based on COGS, capital investment and supply scalability.
• Experience with CAD, multiphysics simulation or computational fluid-dynamics tools.
• Expertise in experimental design, statistics and root-cause investigation.
• Creative but commercially grounded technical leadership; connects molecular biology, engineering, manufacturing and customer value.
• Supports recommendations with evidence, builds effective partnerships, influences without direct authority, develops other engineers, and balances innovation and speed with quality, scalability and cost.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with qPCR, dPCR or related molecular biology workflows is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of consumables, cartridges and microfluidic systems for molecular biology and sample-preparation workflows.
• Translate customer and scientific workflows into fluidic functions, consumable requirements and interface definitions.
• Develop architectures incorporating fluid transport, metering, mixing, thermal control, sealing, reagent storage and waste management.
• Lead concept generation, prototyping, modeling and trade studies across materials, mechanisms and form factors.
• Optimize interactions among consumables, assays, reagents, instruments, automation and users; evaluate concepts for performance, user experience, manufacturability, scalability and unit cost.
• Evaluate polymers, adhesives, coatings, membranes and other materials for chemical, biological, optical and mechanical compatibility.
• Develop solutions using injection molding, thermoforming, bonding, lamination, precision assembly and reagent integration.
• Apply design-for-manufacturing, assembly, automation and inspection principles early; set design-to-cost targets and define critical-to-quality characteristics, tolerances and process requirements.
• Lead development from feasibility through tooling, process development, design transfer and commercial launch.
• Validate manufacturing, scale and cost assumptions before significant design or tooling commitments, and develop production concepts addressing tooling, equipment, cycle time, inspection, yield and quality controls.
• Identify and evaluate suppliers; build relationships with contract manufacturers, tooling partners and specialized technology providers.
• Partner with Operations and suppliers to improve yield, control variation and achieve target cost; resolve issues involving materials, tooling, processes, consumable lots and supplier variation.
• Make evidence-based trade-offs involving performance, COGS, capital investment and manufacturing risk.
• Partner with systems, assay, instrument and automation teams to define interfaces and operating conditions for integrated workflows.
• Design architectures supporting robotic handling, liquid handling and automated execution; improve workflow simplicity, contamination control, sample integrity and error prevention.
• Consider the full consumable lifecycle, including loading, processing, disposal, traceability and sustainability, and support future connected and intelligent laboratory workflows.
• Use fluidic, thermal, mechanical and statistical models, simulation and model-based methods to guide design and manufacturing decisions and reduce design cycles and prototype iterations.
• Apply AI-assisted engineering and advanced analytics to concept exploration, optimization, tolerance analysis, experiment planning, yield, cost and scientific performance; explore computer vision and intelligent inspection for defect detection and production quality.
• Ensure AI-generated recommendations receive appropriate engineering review and experimental validation.
• Design experiments to characterize fluidic behavior, material interactions and system performance; lead root-cause investigations involving consumables, assays, instruments and manufacturing.
• Apply design of experiments, statistics and risk-management methods; define requirements and test methods with systems and V&V teams.
• Develop reusable design principles, models and reference architectures, and mentor engineers and scientists in microfluidics, manufacturability and design-to-cost.

Benefits

• Choice of national medical and dental plans and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs.
• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement.
• At least 120 hours of paid time off (PTO) and 10 paid holidays annually.
• Paid parental leave: 3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave.
• Accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy.
• Competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan.
• Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), offering eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount.
• Possible eligibility for a variable annual bonus based on company, team and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior