Senior Mechanical Engineer

Level: 4

Salary band: £70,000 - £80,000

Location: Hybrid - 3 days per week in London Office (Angel, Islington)

At Automata, we're on a mission to transform how scientists work by making automation accessible to every lab in the world. We believe that by giving labs the power to automate, we can unlock discoveries that will shape the future of life sciences—from diagnostics and drug discovery to synthetic biology.

But we’re more than just a company disrupting the industry—we're a team of innovators, problem-solvers, and creators passionate about empowering scientists. Our LINQ platform combines hardware and software to streamline workflows, making lab automation fast, flexible, and affordable. This means our customers can focus on groundbreaking research, while we take care of the rest.

Why Work at Automata?

• Impact: Your work will directly contribute to advancements in science and medicine, supporting labs around the globe as they push boundaries in research and innovation.
• Innovation: You’ll be part of a team solving complex problems (seriously, no one else has figured out how to do this yet), using cutting-edge technology (we have robots).
• Growth: We invest in our people. Whether through hands-on experience, professional development, or collaborative projects, you’ll grow both professionally and personally.
• Community: Join a diverse, passionate team that values collaboration (golf on a Thursday, Soccer once a month, movie nights whenever we fancy it).

We are looking for a Senior Mechanical Engineer whose mission is to be a key contributor to our hardware team who will lead the design and delivery of mechanical products from concept through to deployment. In this hands-on role, you will be responsible for creating innovative mechanical designs, working with our suppliers to ensure delivery of high quality products, and ensuring successful delivery to our customers.

This position offers the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology, sharpen your technical skills, and help build high-performance products that meet the highest standards of quality and reliability in the lab automation industry.

Why is this role important for Automata?

This role is vital to ensuring the hardware team can deliver our products to our customers on time to their expected timescales while delivering on quality and performance. As laboratory automation becomes increasingly critical to scientific research and discovery, our mechanical engineers are at the forefront of developing the precise, reliable systems that enable scientists to focus on breakthrough research rather than routine tasks.

Your work directly impacts our ability to scale our business and maintain our reputation for excellence in the competitive lab automation market.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

• Leading mechanical product development and delivery from concept to deployment
• Supporting delivery and in-service teams with technical expertise and troubleshooting
• Managing quality systems and engineering change processes to ensure product excellence
• Identifying and implementing continuous improvements to engineering workflows and processes

What it takes:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field (Advanced degree preferred)
• 5+ years of experience in mechanical product development, ideally in manufacturing or automation environments
• Expert proficiency with CAD software (OnShape preferred), including design lifecycle management and technical documentation
• Strong knowledge of mechanical design principles, materials science, and manufacturing processes, including DFM/DFA
• Proven experience in project management methodologies and delivering hardware products on schedule

Nice to have:

• Experience of managing and delivering hardware products across different parts of its lifecycle.
• Experience in laboratory automation or medical device environments.
• Experience adhering to and applying GD&T to mechanical drawings and assemblies.

Why You’ll Want to Join Us

• You want to operate at the edge of your capability - where expectations are high and impact is real
• You’re motivated by ownership and autonomy - not hierarchy or process
• You want to build and scale something meaningful - our product directly saves lives
• You’re currently under-leveraged, moving faster than your environment allows
• You want to work with people who are equally driven, pragmatic, and focused on outcomes

UK Team Benefits:

🍎 Vitality Health Insurance

👀 Eye Care

🚗 Salary Sacrifice - EV

🚲 Salary Sacrifice - Bike & Tech

🧘🏼 ♀️ Wellbeing & Support

☀️ Wellbeing & Development Allowance

💙 Spill & Employee Assistance Programme

😊 Additional Leave

👵🏼 Pension Scheme

🫂 Group Life & Critical Illness cover

We are an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Discrimination of any kind based on race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status is strictly prohibited.