At Dimer Instruments we're creating the next generation of laboratory and process analytical tools for the pharmaceutical market. Our products use multiple light-based spectroscopic methods to interrogate solutions containing molecules and particles, providing researchers not just with data but with organized information allowing them to make informed decisions, and providing automated Process systems with the feedback required for Quality by Design. At Dimer you'll be working with a high-quality, high-performing, highly collaborative, and enjoyable team of Engineers and Scientists to create products that make a difference in the world. We have fun while we're creating great products.
Summary
The successful Staff Mechanical Engineer will be a great and imaginative mechanical designer, able to quickly understand big picture needs and to generate elegant, practical, cost effective, and manufacturable solutions. They will be expert at precision mechanical designs, able to create micron level adjustable opto-mechanical systems. They will be knowledgeable regarding sheet metal and chassis structures, will be able to design simple injection mold parts, and motorized small doors and other moving elements. They will think outside the box and will occasionally truly surprise their colleagues with a zinger of solution that no one (else) saw coming. They will know the importance of clearly defined and articulated requirements and a definition of done, and if requirements are lacking they will not hesitate to cheerfully and collaboratively work with in-house "customers" in Marketing and Applications to generate clear requirements. They will keep a big-picture focus on end user needs and will not be afraid to ask why a requirement exists (or doesn't exist). They will know the joys of a model staying in lock-step with production and the horrors of production stoppages when a tolerance stack-up wasn't well-considered and an entire lot of parts couldn't be used. They will revel in a well-factored BOM, know when it makes sense to use FEA to check a system and when not to bother, and as a seasoned professional engineer they will understand the value of clean and clear documentation and organization of work. They will understand the need to scramble to hit a schedule but will also know that a non-stop scramble work environment is a recipe for disaster.
The Staff Mechanical Engineer will also mentor more junior engineers, helping them to learn best practices in design, documentation, organization. They will take on some tasks as heads-down get-it-done design work, and others as collaborative projects with other members of the team that result in better trained and educated staff, able to take on more and bigger challenges.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Generate expert-level Mechanical Engineering best practice designs for Research, Development, and Sustaining efforts, including tolerance analysis and FEA as needed.
Generate expert-level designs for precision mechanical systems, and provide designs for sheet metal chassis, front panel, simple injection molded parts, and electro-mechanical systems (e.g. doors opening).
Contribute to system-level mechanical architectural designs that meet Market requirements.
Solid modeling, creation of 2D prints from 3D models, use of GD&T, creation of complex assemblies.
Build and test prototypes.
Contribute to DFME and mitigation analysis, including system/architectural level designs that achieve field serviceability requirements.
Contribute to improving Engineering and Operations processes, e.g. engineering change order flow, vendor qualification procedures, engineering change order implementation.
Provide root cause analysis for failures and improve designs to mitigate those failures.
Develop tools and procedures for manufacturing which improve efficiency and product yield and reduce costs.
Provide cost and schedule estimates for various tasks.
Manage projects and tasks to company defined schedules and budgets.
Contribute to and lead technical design review with multidisciplinary teams and upper management.
Mentor junior Mechanical Engineering Staff, encouraging and developing best practices for mechniacal design, organization of work, expected quality of documentation of work, and other similar tasks key to success in an engineering field.
Contribute to patent applications
Other tasks as assigned by your supervisor
Qualifications
Typically requires a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with 15 years industry experience, or M.S. with 12 years industry experience, or Ph.D. with 10 years industry experience. Experience is to include precision mechanical systems and also support of a production line.
Additional Skills
Must have the social "soft skills" required to be collaborative across the organization. Must be able to understand and communicate well in English, both spoken and written, and be able to write reports, work instructions, business correspondence, procedures, and manuals. Must be able to present work in an organized way both for project/progress reviews and design reviews. Must have knowledge of and facility with document control systems and product lifecycle systems and tools. Must have knowledge of standard Microsoft office tools.
Physical Requirements
The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. When working in machine shop, chemistry, or optics lab, appropriate protective gear must be worn including eyewear, eye protection from laser or UV light, lab coats, and closed toed shoes.
Work Environment
Office space, optics lab, chemistry lab, warehouse, and electronics and optical manufacturing space. The employee may occasionally be exposed to moderate noise levels, e.g. from loud fans in electronics equipment. Travel may occasionally be required, e.g. to test labs, customer sites, for conferences and trade shows, or for training.