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Strain Engineering Jobs in Berkeley, CA (NOW HIRING)

Specter

Engineering Lab Manager

San Francisco, CA · On-site

You have strong physical intuition for heat, power, cable strain, and weather. Qualifications ... Breadboarding, basic programming, setting up PSUs, loads, and solar panels, and crimping or ...

Mill

Hardware Test Engineer

San Bruno, CA · On-site

$130K - $145K/yr

... related engineering fields (Mechanical/Mechatronics, Electrical, etc.) * 3-5 years experience ... Experience working with accelerometers, strain gauges/load cells, fluid handling systems, and/or ...

Mill

Hardware Test Engineer

San Bruno, CA

$130K - $145K/yr

... related engineering fields (Mechanical/Mechatronics, Electrical, etc.) * 3-5 years experience ... Experience working with accelerometers, strain gauges/load cells, fluid handling systems, and/or ...

Exa

Software Engineer, Infrastructure

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$180K - $350K/yr

... engineering org. That could mean building GPU cluster orchestration in Kubernetes, map-reduce ... strain on our systems (CI, etc) and that challenge excites you What You'll Do * Scale ...

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsStrain Engineering JobsStrain Engineering Jobs in Berkeley, CA

Strain Engineering information

See Berkeley, CA salary details

$91.8K

$140K

$186.7K

How much do strain engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for strain engineering in Berkeley, CA is $139,992.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $122,400.00 and $157,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is strain engineering?

A Strain Engineering job involves modifying microbial or cellular strains to optimize their genetic and metabolic pathways for improved performance in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or industrial applications. Strain engineers use techniques such as genetic engineering, CRISPR, adaptive evolution, and fermentation optimization to enhance traits like yield, stability, or resistance. They work in research labs, biotech companies, or pharmaceutical firms to develop strains for drug production, biofuel generation, or sustainable materials manufacturing.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a strain engineer?

As a Strain Engineer, your daily responsibilities often include designing and executing experiments to engineer new microbial strains, analyzing genetic data, and documenting results for ongoing projects. You’ll collaborate closely with microbiologists, fermentation scientists, and process engineers to optimize strain performance for various applications, such as biopharmaceutical production or biofuel development. Depending on the project stage, your work may also involve troubleshooting experimental outcomes and maintaining laboratory equipment. This collaborative and experimental environment keeps the role dynamic and provides ample opportunities to contribute to innovative solutions.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the strain engineering position, and why are they important?

To excel in Strain Engineering, you typically need a strong background in microbiology, molecular biology, or chemical engineering, along with hands-on experience in genetic manipulation and strain optimization. Familiarity with bioinformatics tools, laboratory automation systems, and quality control protocols is highly valued, and certification in relevant biosafety protocols may be required. Strong problem-solving abilities, effective communication, and collaboration are crucial soft skills in this field. These competencies are important to ensure safe and efficient development of microbial strains for industrial, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology applications.

What are popular job titles related to Strain Engineering jobs in Berkeley, CA?

For Strain Engineering jobs in Berkeley, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Strain Engineering jobs in Berkeley, CA look for?

The top searched job categories for Strain Engineering jobs in Berkeley, CA are:

What cities near Berkeley, CA are hiring for Strain Engineering jobs?

Cities near Berkeley, CA with the most Strain Engineering job openings:

Strain Engineering jobs near you
Infographic showing various Strain Engineering job openings in Berkeley, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $139,992 per year, or $67.3 per hour.

Engineering Lab Manager

Specter

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 20 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Build, maintain, and organize the lab and test sites, including outdoor installations and hardware setups.

  • Set up and support test infrastructure such as networking, power, and IT systems, ensuring organization and documentation.

  • Assemble server racks, plan hardware migrations, and ensure systems are moved without losing operational state.

Job description

Company BackgroundSpecter's mission is to help automate the physical world.
Today, we build video sensors with state-of-the-art AI agents that answer any question, anywhere in their environments. Our systems can automatically detect and reason about any physical activity captured on camera, from security incidents (e.g. perimeter intrusion, theft, LPR), to safety monitoring (e.g. PPE detection, injured people), to operational efficiency (e.g. material tracking, congestion monitoring). We offer both long range wireless (1km range) and wired sensor variants to suit any deployment.
Our co-founders Xerxes and Philip are passionate about empowering our partners in the fast approaching world of physical AI and robotics. We are a small, fast growing team who hail from Anduril, Tesla, Uber, and the U.S. Special Forces.
The RoleYou'll build and maintain the lab and test sites the rest of engineering depends on. That spans standing up outdoor test installations, wiring the lab's network and servers, mounting radios for RF testing, and building racks and moving live hardware into them without losing a beat. You scope it, source it, build it, and make sure it holds up. Just as important is the part that doesn't show up in a single install: making the lab a system that runs without you standing over it. You'll decide how the space is laid out, how equipment is tracked and maintained, and how the common jobs get done so they come out the same every time. As the team grows, you'll direct technicians and set the standards they work to.
Responsibilities:
  • Field test installs: Install and weatherproof development units at test sites, including our roof. Route and protect cabling so it survives months of rain, heat, and wind.
  • Prototype fabrication: Take a bare set of electronics and turn it into something we can field: build or machine the enclosure, brackets, and mounts, and make it weatherproof and serviceable outdoors.
  • Supporting test infrastructure: Set up the networking, power, and IT that tests depend on. Pull and terminate cable, install switches, rack and power servers, and keep it organized and documented.
  • Rack builds and system moves: Assemble server racks from scratch and plan clean
  • migrations of our hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems. Map every cable and transplant running setups without losing state.
  • Lab operations and standards: Lay out the space, set up how equipment is tracked and maintained, and turn recurring jobs into repeatable processes so quality doesn't depend on who's on shift.
  • Spotting failures before they happen: Catch the "we probably shouldn't drape a blanket over the servers, they'll overheat" problems early. You have strong physical intuition for heat, power, cable strain, and weather.

Qualifications:
  • Creative problem-solving: Given a loose set of requirements and a deadline, your instinct is to start figuring out how, not to ask for a spec sheet. You improvise with what's on hand and know which corners are safe to cut and which aren't.
  • Organized and systematic: You set up the space, tools, and processes so work is repeatable and problems don't recur. You can turn a messy, ad-hoc lab into something that runs predictably.
  • Computers and Linux: You can build a machine from parts, set it up, and operate it comfortably. Linux and SSH are second nature, and basic troubleshooting doesn't slow you down.
  • Mechanical prototyping: You can fabricate and build physical things: machining, welding, fixturing, 3D printing, casting. You're at home in a workshop turning an idea into an object.
  • Electronics prototyping: Breadboarding, basic programming, setting up PSUs, loads, and solar panels, and crimping or modifying wiring harnesses.
  • Handyman and assembly skills: Mounting, drilling, fastening, cable routing, and weatherproofing, all done properly. Comfortable and safe working at height and outdoors.
  • Careful with expensive hardware: You handle sensitive lab equipment with care, especially during moves and re-cabling, and you'd rather label the cables now than trace them later.

Nice to Have
  • Team leadership: Experience directing technicians or contractors, or setting standards that others work to.
  • RF and antennas: Exposure to RF hardware or antenna work.
  • Hardware-in-the-loop: Familiarity with HIL test setups and the cabling and state they depend on.
  • Structured cabling and rack build-out: Experience running clean, documented cabling and standing up server racks.
  • Low-voltage or electrical: Comfort with low-voltage wiring, power distribution, or basic electrical work.
  • Networking depth: VLANs, switch configuration, IP addressing, and keeping a growing physical network tidy.

Apply