Process Hardware Engineer

Location: Meriden, Connecticut, United States of America

Category: Research & Development

Employment Type: Full time

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Office

Job Description

Product Development Engineer III – Mechanical Engineering

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll do meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.

We provide our global teams with the resources and opportunities to achieve their career goals while advancing science and developing solutions to some of the world’s toughest challenges—from protecting the environment and ensuring food safety to supporting the development of life-saving therapies.

The Role

Join our collaborative R&D team as a Product Development Engineer III, where you will lead the design, development, and optimization of mechanical products and processes for fluid-handling and pressurized equipment.

This role combines hands-on mechanical engineering, product development, manufacturing expertise, and project leadership. You will work closely with cross-functional partners across R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Sales, and Marketing to develop innovative, reliable, and cost-effective solutions from initial concept through commercialization.

You will apply your technical expertise to solve complex engineering challenges, improve existing products, and develop next-generation solutions while ensuring designs meet applicable quality, safety, and regulatory requirements.

What You’ll Do

• Lead mechanical design and product development activities for fluid-process and pressurized equipment, including pressure vessels, piping, valves, pumps, and related systems.
• Develop engineering concepts and translate them into robust, manufacturable, and cost-effective designs.
• Perform technical analysis and design optimization to improve product performance, reliability, quality, and manufacturability.
• Support projects throughout the full product development lifecycle, from concept and design through testing, validation, industrialization, and commercialization.
• Lead and coordinate cross-functional project activities to deliver agreed technical, schedule, cost, and quality objectives.
• Partner with Manufacturing to optimize fabrication and assembly processes, including metal forming/drawing, casting, welding, polishing, precision machining, mechanical assembly, and testing.
• Ensure designs comply with applicable codes, standards, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations for pressurized and fluid-process equipment.
• Coordinate and supervise subcontracted engineering activities, including external design and calculation work.
• Investigate complex technical issues, identify root causes, and implement practical engineering solutions.
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, or other continuous-improvement methodologies where appropriate.
• Serve as a technical resource for internal teams, suppliers, and customers.
• Support supplier and customer visits as required, with travel of up to approximately 15%.

Education & Experience

Required:

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with 5+ years of relevant industry experience, or
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with 7+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Demonstrated mechanical engineering experience with fluid-process equipment such as pressure vessels, piping, valves, pumps, or similar equipment.
• Experience working within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing or leading engineering projects involving industrial or engineered products.

Technical Knowledge & Skills

• Strong mechanical design expertise related to pressurized equipment and fluid-process systems.
• Working knowledge of relevant engineering codes, standards, and regulatory requirements for metal pressure vessels and fluid-process equipment, including applicable ASTM standards.
• Understanding of regulatory and industry requirements across markets such as pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food, oil and gas, automotive, coatings/paint, nuclear, and military/defense industries, as applicable.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes used for metal pressure vessels and related equipment, including forming/drawing, casting, welding, polishing, machining, assembly, and testing.
• Manufacturing experience involving metal fabrication, precision machining, mechanical assembly, and product testing.
• Experience with design and process optimization methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, or Agile.
• Understanding of how functions such as R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Sales, and Marketing collaborate throughout the product lifecycle.

Key Capabilities

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Ability to independently develop engineering concepts and cost-effective designs.
• Strong technical analysis and complex problem-solving skills.
• Ability to evaluate complex situations and recommend practical, technically sound solutions.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead cross-functional teams toward defined outcomes.
• Excellent organization, planning, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet commitments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical concepts effectively to different audiences.
• Ability to coordinate external engineering partners, vendors, and subcontractors.
• Strong internal and external customer orientation.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and the ability to apply Lean principles where relevant.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively in a cross-functional environment.

Travel

Up to 15% travel may be required for supplier, vendor, and customer visits.

What Success Looks Like

You will be a key technical contributor and project leader who can take complex mechanical engineering challenges from concept to practical implementation. You’ll combine strong knowledge of pressurized and fluid-process equipment with manufacturing expertise, cross-functional collaboration, and disciplined project execution to deliver safe, reliable, compliant, and commercially successful products.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range estimated for this position based in Connecticut is $98,800.00–$148,300.00.

This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:

• A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs

• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement

• At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy

• Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan

• Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount

For more information on our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.thermofisher.com/global/en/total-rewards