R&D Engineer II – Mechanical

Spectacular Labs — Berkeley Area (Onsite Only)

About the Role

We’re looking for a hands-on R&D mechanical engineer with approximately 3–5 years of industry experience to help design, build, and bring to market our pathogen detection hardware platform. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys real hardware work — CAD design, prototyping, testing, and iterative product development — in a fast-paced startup environment where engineering work directly impacts shipped products.

This is a fully onsite role where the work you do directly supports our commercial pathogen detection platform and early manufacturing efforts.

Key Responsibilities

Design mechanical components, assemblies, and subsystems using CAD (OnShape strongly preferred)
Own design tasks from concept through prototyping, validation, and early production
Plan and execute experiments to evaluate performance, reliability, and manufacturability
Drive design-for-manufacturing (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) improvements
Create and maintain engineering drawings, documentation, and bills of materials (BOMs)
Support prototype builds, pilot manufacturing runs, and product iteration cycles
Troubleshoot mechanical and electromechanical issues across development stages
Collaborate closely with biology, electrical, software, and product teams
Contribute to engineering best practices for hardware development

Required Qualifications

BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field
Approximately 3–5 years of relevant industry experience
Strong hands-on CAD experience designing real parts and assemblies
Prototyping, testing, and hardware debugging experience
Demonstrated ability to take designs from concept to working prototype
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship
Must be local to the San Francisco Bay Area and able to commute onsite daily

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in a hardware startup, lab instrumentation, robotics, or medical device environment
Familiarity with machining, sheet metal, plastics, or injection-molded part design
Experience interacting with vendors or manufacturing partners
Exposure to electronics integration or electromechanical systems
Familiarity with scripting/programming (Python or C/C++) for test automation or data collection
Experience using version control for design collaboration

Who Thrives Here

Engineers who enjoy building, testing, and improving real hardware systems
Comfortable taking ownership of design challenges
Strong communicators who work well in small collaborative teams
Engineers who thrive in fast iteration cycles
People who want exposure to the full product development lifecycle

What We Offer

Direct impact on a mission-driven hardware platform
Exposure to full product development and commercialization
Collaborative, no-ego engineering culture
Opportunity to grow with a fast-moving startup

Location

San Francisco Bay Area — In-Person Only

We are specifically seeking candidates who can reliably commute daily to our Berkeley facility.

How to Apply

Send your resume and a brief note about why this role excites you to:

jobs@spectacularlabs.com

Spectacular Labs

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