Hardware Engineer

About the company

Onepot AI leverages machine learning and an automated laboratory to rapidly synthesize complex chemical molecules for drug discovery partners.

About this role

onepot is automating chemistry. Our goal is to enable a self-improvement loop for chemistry by combining AI and advanced robotics. In this loop, AI systems design experiments, robotic systems execute them, and the resulting data improves the next generation of models. This goal can only be achieved by bringing together people from different backgrounds: ML engineers, chemists, computer scientists, and hardware engineers. We are building a small, unusually ambitious team and are looking for an engineer who wants substantial ownership over design and creation of systems that operate in the real world. Most existing automation equipment was developed for biology, where much of the work involves pipetting easy-to-handle aqueous solutions. Chemistry is very different: reagents can corrode metals, attack plastics, evaporate, react with air or moisture, precipitate, and clog tubing. Solids may not dispense consistently, reaction mixtures may change behavior over time, and workflows that appear simple on paper can fail in dozens of unexpected ways. This makes chemistry automation extremely challenging. In many cases, existing equipment cannot simply be adapted to the task. Entire workflows, instruments, and robotic modules must be redesigned from first principles. THE ROLE In this position, you will build key parts of onepot's hardware stack and enable previously inaccessible chemistry to be performed automatically. The work will involve both the design of bespoke hardware modules and the integration of commercially available equipment. You may build systems for liquid or solid dispensing, vial and plate handling, reaction setup, heating and cooling, inert-atmosphere operations, sampling, instrument loading, or automated analysis. This is a deeply hands-on role. You will design parts, assemble prototypes, write control software, debug systems in the lab, and work directly with chemists to understand why existing tools fail. You will own systems from initial concept through fabrication, deployment, failure, and improvement. This is not a role centered on producing designs for someone else to build. We are looking for someone who wants to see their work operate reliably under real laboratory conditions. ENGINEERING PHILOSOPHY In many ways, building hardware for chemistry presents challenges unseen in most settings. Lab-automation equipment is often extremely expensive and, in many cases, simply not good enough. We approach the problem from first principles and in a scrappy, entrepreneurial manner. We move quickly between design, fabrication, testing, and deployment. We use commercial components when they are good enough and build our own when they are not. We prefer a simple system that works today over an elaborate system that exists only on paper. Requirements will evolve as we learn. Prototypes will be tested immediately. Designs will fail, and you will be expected to understand why, fix them, and make the next version substantially better. EDUCATION - Degree in an engineering discipline or physics; we will consider exceptional candidates without one - We care more about demonstrated engineering ability and what you have built than about a particular credential EXPERIENCE - We would love to see things you have built independently or as part of a small team — drones, robotic arms, scientific instruments, manufacturing equipment, custom electronics, liquid-handling robots, or other technically ambitious projects - Experience taking a physical system from an initial idea to a functioning and reliable implementation - Evidence that you can move quickly, make good decisions with incomplete information, and solve difficult problems without waiting for detailed instructions - Experience in a startup, research group, competition team, or other environment where you had significant ownership and limited resources is particularly relevant SKILLS - Familiarity with CAD software of your choice - Ability to develop electronic components and software that interfaces with physical hardware - Strong capability in at least one of mechanical engineering, electronics, embedded systems, robotics, or controls - Comfort working across disciplines and learning unfamiliar technical areas as necessary - Experience working with motors, pumps, valves, sensors, microcontrollers, or other electromechanical components - Strong written and verbal communication skills - Curiosity and excitement about chemistry - A strong bias toward building, testing, and learning from real systems PARTICULARLY RELEVANT EXPERIENCE Experience in any of the following areas would be useful, but we do not expect one person to have all of it: - Fluid handling and chemical compatibility - Motion control - Embedded systems and microcontrollers - Machine vision - PLCs, ROS, or industrial communication protocols - Safety interlocks and fault-tolerant systems - Machining, fabrication, or rapid prototyping - Designing systems that must operate reliably in harsh or unusual environments WHO WILL THRIVE HERE You may be a strong fit if you: - Want substantial responsibility early in your career - Are energized rather than discouraged by difficult, poorly defined problems - Care deeply about the quality and reliability of what you build - Move with urgency while maintaining sound engineering judgment - Are willing to work outside a narrow job description to make the overall system succeed - Want your work to have a direct and visible effect on the company's technical progress - Are excited by the opportunity to build systems that do not yet exist ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS - Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary - onepot works fully in person in our South San Francisco lab - Ability to work safely in an active chemistry laboratory and around scientific equipment BENEFITS - Lunches and dinners (if staying late) in office - Commute stipend - Top