Mechanical Engineer

About Pilgrim:

Pilgrim develops and deploys advanced biotechnology for defense and national security. Our primary platform, ARGUS, is a fully autonomous system for detecting biological threats in near real time, from naturally occurring pathogens to engineered agents. Pilgrim is not a research institute or academic lab - we engineer hardware for biology, turning breakthrough science into fielded capabilities.

Pilgrim is backed by Peter Thiel, Dylan Field, Conviction, Cantos, and Refactor. Located in Redwood City, our team pairs mechanical and electrical engineering with chemistry and biology to bring critical technologies out of the lab and into the hands of operators in the field.

About the Role:

As a Mechanical Engineer at Pilgrim, you’ll own mechanical subsystems and critical components across our products, from concept through mass production. You’ll work across CAD, rapid prototyping, vendor selection and coordination, and field testing - taking prototypes all the way to deployed systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop compact, ruggedized subsystems, housings, fixtures, test rigs, and mechanical assemblies in CAD, with attention to shock, vibration, environmental exposure, serviceability, and manufacturability.

• Prototype components using CNC machining, 3D printing, laser cutting, vacuum or pressure forming, and general shop tools.

• Develop and integrate fluidic subsystems, including manifolds, channels, valves, pumps, fittings, and sealing solutions such as O-rings, gaskets, and compression fittings.

• Apply DFM/DFA principles, tolerance analysis, and fit checks, and plan and run mechanical, pressure, flow, thermal, and environmental tests to evaluate performance, identify failure modes, and move designs toward reliable production.

• Work with vendors and manufacturers to source parts, review fabrication options, resolve design issues, and improve cost, lead time, and quality.

• Run live demonstrations, field testing, and operator feedback sessions, then use what you learn to improve the design through rapid iteration.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (preferred) or related discipline (e.g., Materials, Biomedical, Electrical), or demonstrated equivalent capability (formal degree not required).

• Portfolio of independent projects demonstrating applied mechanical design and prototyping skills (required).

• Prior shop experience with CNC machining (milling/lathe), additive manufacturing, vacuum forming, laser cutting, and general fabrication tools.

• Proficiency with SolidWorks, with the ability to produce parts, assemblies, drawings, and manufacturable designs.

• Strong understanding and intuition with diverse materials and physics to facilitate rapid prototyping.

Nice to Have

• Experience with peristaltic and syringe pumps, and with solenoid and SMA valves.

• Experience with ruggedization standards and MIL-STD/MIL-SPEC design.

• Experience with MATLAB or other tools for thermal management and CFD analysis.

• DFM/DFA in regulated industries (defense, aerospace, medical).

• Knowledge of high-performance materials (PEEK, PTFE, composites, aluminum alloys, stainless steels).