Laboratory Automation Engineer Jobs in Seattle, WA

Request ID: 70359-1
Tax Work Location: US - WA - Redmon
Job Title: Mechanical & Electrical Engineering - Mechanical Engineer III
Job Description: Mechanical Testing Engineer
Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field is required.
5+ Years of experience required
Description
We are seeking a detail-oriented and self-motivated Mechanical Testing Engineer to join our dynamic team at Meta Reality Labs. The successful candidate will be responsible for the execution, development, and optimization of innovative mechanical testing and failure analysis methods for novel single-crystal optical materials. These materials are transformative for next-generation AR/VR applications, and your work will be critical to ensuring their reliability and performance. You will join an agile, cross-functional team focused on incubating winning prototypes and establishing new process capabilities with our supply-chain partners. This role is hands-on, involving laboratory work, deep data analysis, and collaboration with experts across various engineering disciplines.
Responsibilities
Design, implement, and document experiments for the mechanical characterization and failure analysis of novel single-crystal optical materials.
Handle, prepare, and process material samples, including slicing, dicing, lapping, and chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP), while adhering to all laboratory safety protocols.
Conduct a range of mechanical tests, including but not limited to fracture toughness testing, flexural strength testing, and biaxial flexure testing.
Perform comprehensive root cause failure analysis on tested components, utilizing fractography with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to identify failure origins and mechanisms.
Develop and validate novel testing methodologies and fixtures tailored to the unique geometries and properties of our advanced optical materials.
Collect, analyze, and interpret complex test data; prepare detailed reports and present findings and recommendations to cross-functional engineering and research teams.
Collaborate closely with materials scientists, optical engineers, and manufacturing partners to correlate mechanical properties with material processing and performance, driving continuous material and process improvements.
Minimum Qualifications
Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
4+ years of hands-on experience in the mechanical characterization of brittle materials (e.g., ceramics, glasses, single crystals).
Experience with advanced material processing techniques such as diamond wire sawing, lapping, bonding/de-bonding, and chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) or similar processing techniques.
Demonstrated expertise in fracture mechanics principles and testing, including the experimental determination of stress intensity factors.
Hands-on experience with material, crystallography, and surface science or similar characterization techniques, especially using SEM for fractography.
Good understanding of mechanical design principles for custom test fixture design.
Proven ability to design and execute experiments (DOE), analyze results, and draw actionable conclusions.
Excellent data handling, documentation, and organization skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to a diverse audience.
Preferred Qualifications
Ph.D. in a relevant discipline with a background in process development or material reliability.
Familiarity with optical metrology and refractive index measurements (e.g., prism coupler).
Proficiency in statistical data analysis and its application to brittle materials, including a strong understanding of Weibull statistics.
Experience with laboratory automation and data acquisition using software such as LabVIEW, Python, or MATLAB.
A fundamental understanding of crystallography and the anisotropic mechanical behavior of single-crystal materials.