Senior Mechanical Engineer - Manufacturing & Product Development

Aquatic Labs Senior Mechanical Engineer - Manufacturing & Product Development — Cambridge, MA (Full Time)

We've developed breakthrough sensor technology that will transform how water chemistry is monitored across industrial applications. Our innovative sensors deliver real‑time, accurate measurements that were previously impossible with traditional methods. We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead our manufacturing scale‑up efforts, coordinate cross‑functional teams, and establish the processes and testing protocols required to deliver thousands of reliable sensors to market.

Aquatic's mission is to reveal the invisible throughout the world's waters. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Aquatic is combining cutting‑edge semiconductor technology, transformative science, agile development methods, and modern fabrication approaches to create globally‑scalable tools for monitoring the world's waters.

As Senior Mechanical Engineer, you'll lead the effort to transform our validated sensor technology into a manufacturable, testable, and scalable product optimized for diverse customer applications and market requirements. You'll coordinate design, engineering, quality, and operations teams to establish robust manufacturing processes with contract manufacturers. This role requires deep expertise in DFM, testing protocols, process validation, and manufacturing quality systems, combined with strong product design capabilities to refine and adapt the sensor for different use cases — someone who can ensure every detail is right before scaling production while continuously improving the design based on customer feedback and market needs.

Product Design & Manufacturing Leadership & Coordination:

• Lead cross‑functional teams to integrate mechanical, electrical, and software components into a fully functional product ready for scale‑up
• Manage NPI (New Product Introduction) with contract manufacturers, owning the complete manufacturing transfer process
• Coordinate with CMs to establish assembly processes, validate capabilities, and ensure production readiness
• Validate contract manufacturer assembly processes through process audits, capability studies, and first article inspections
• Ensure compliance with safety standards and regulations

Design for Manufacturing & Quality:

• Apply advanced DFM/DFA principles to optimize every aspect of product design for reliable, cost‑effective manufacturing
• Conduct DFMEA to identify and mitigate potential design risks before production
• Lead PFMEA development with manufacturing partners to ensure robust processes
• Create comprehensive manufacturing drawings with expert‑level GD&T specifications and tolerance stack‑up analysis
• Optimize designs for assembly efficiency, yield improvement, and COGS reduction
• Develop detailed BOMs with specifications that ensure manufacturability and supplier capability. Lead BOM cost reduction from the mechanical engineering perspective.

Product Design & Development:

• Iterate on product design based on user feedback from pilot deployments, field testing, and customer requirements
• Adapt designs for new markets and applications by understanding different use cases and optimizing sensor configuration, mounting, and integration
• Consider user experience throughout the design process - how customers will install, maintain, and interact with the sensor
• Design with regulatory compliance in mind - ensure products meet applicable electrical safety standards (UL, CE, IEC), water contact regulations (NSF/ANSI), and industry‑specific requirements
• Balance user needs with manufacturing constraints to create products that are both customer‑friendly and production‑ready
• Create design documentation that captures rationale for design decisions, compliance requirements, and user interface considerations

Testing & Validation:

• Define and implement
  , with EE and SE teams, product validation & testing strategies, including functional testing, environmental testing, and reliability testing protocols
• Take point on testing and QC projects
  , including overseeing the requirements and design of…