Hardware Engineering Manager

Overview

The Hardware Engineering Manager is responsible for leading a team of hardware engineers and executing engineering projects that support released products across the Wyatt product portfolio at the Santa Barbara, CA site. The role combines people leadership, technical oversight, and project execution, with a strong focus on sustaining engineering, product improvements, reliability, supply-chain continuity, and resolution of complex product issues.

The manager will build and develop engineering capability by hiring, coaching, and mentoring engineers, while providing the technical judgment and structure needed for effective execution. A strong mechanical engineering background is preferred, particularly experience with precision instrumentation, electromechanical systems, manufacturing processes, and design for reliability and manufacturability.

This role works closely with Manufacturing/Operations, Quality, Service, Supply Chain, and other Engineering teams.

Responsibilities

 

• Lead and manage sustaining engineering projects for released hardware products.
• Manage, hire, coach, and mentor hardware engineers.
• Provide technical leadership for mechanical design, troubleshooting, and system-level issues.
• Drive product improvements in reliability, quality, manufacturability, serviceability, and cost.
• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for product and manufacturing issues.
• Oversee engineering changes, design updates, and component substitutions.
• Support component obsolescence, alternate sourcing, and supply-chain continuity projects.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Service, Supply Chain, and Engineering to resolve product issues.
• Ensure appropriate design reviews, verification, risk assessment, and engineering documentation.
• Manage project priorities, resources, schedules, risks, and technical escalations.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related engineering discipline.
• Relevant engineering experience developing or supporting physical products.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering projectsand teams from problem definition through implementation and verification.
• Experience working with released products in a production or manufacturing environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and demonstrated ability to lead root-cause investigations.
• Experience with engineering change control, configuration management, and/or PLM systems.
• Strong organizational, project-management, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Service organizations.
• Demonstrated interest and ability in managing, coaching and developing engineers.

Preferred

• Mechanical Engineering degree or significant mechanical engineering experience.
• Prior engineering management, technical-lead, or people-leadership experience.
• Experience hiring, onboarding, and mentoring junior engineers.
• Experience with scientific instrumentation, analytical instruments, optical instruments, or complex electromechanical products.
• Experience with CAD tools and mechanical design/documentation.
• Familiarity with electronics, PCB assemblies, embedded systems, and multidisciplinary hardware integration.
• Experience with reliability engineering, verification testing, failure analysis, and design-for-manufacturing/design-for-assembly.
• Experience managing component obsolescence, alternate sourcing, and supply-chain engineering projects.
• Familiarity with Six Sigma, Lean, or other structured continuous-improvement/problem-solving methodologies.

Company Description

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)  is a global leader in life sciences and diagnostics, dedicated to accelerating the benefits of pioneering science through analytical technologies, informatics, and service. With a focus on regulated, high-volume testing environments, our innovative portfolio harnesses deep scientific expertise across chemistry, physics, and biology. We collaborate with customers around the world to advance the release of effective, high-quality medicines, ensure the safety of food and water, and drive better patient outcomes by detecting diseases earlier, managing routine infections, and combating antibiotic resistance. Through a shared culture of relentless innovation, our passionate team of ~16,000 colleagues turn scientific challenges into breakthroughs that improve lives worldwide.  

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our core values at Waters Corporation. It benefits our employees, our products, our customers and our community. Waters complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, marital status (including civil unions), military service, veteran status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, legally recognized disability, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Waters is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

Key Words

Hardware Engineering, Engineering Management, Sustaining Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, People Leadership, Mentoring, Project Management, Scientific Instrumentation, Electromechanical Systems, Root Cause Analysis, Reliability, Product Improvement, Manufacturing Support, DFM/DFA, GD&T, CAD, PLM, ECO, Supply Chain, Component Obsolescence, Verification & Validation, Cross-Functional Leadership