Senior Systems Scientist

When joining PerkinElmer, you select an experienced and trusted leader in scientific solutions, with the support of a global service network and distribution centers, providing the right solution, at the right time, to meet critical customer needs.  With over an 80+ year legacy of advancing science and a mission of innovating for a healthier world, our dedicated team collaborates closely with commercial, government, academic and healthcare customers to deliver our broad portfolio of analytical solutions, and OneSource services.

Job Title

Senior Systems Scientist

Location(s)

High Wycombe

Purpose

Support our busy program of new product development work. The two primary aspects of the role are system design and specification and design verification. The role requires the successful candidate to develop a good understanding of the function and use of the product as well as the underlying technology, in order to be able to develop and document both high-level functional and performance requirements and detailed sub-system requirements.

Contributions to system design may include concept development, design calculations or modelling for optical, mechanical, electronic or algorithmic aspects of the system depending on experience and project requirements. Design verification activities will include active participation in design reviews, as well as design and execution of test plans for prototype evaluation.

The role also includes investigation of selected manufacturing/field failures in order to determine root cause and initiate remedial actions.

Responsibilities

• Generally and proactively promote product quality
• Understand the products’ performance parameters both at the system and sub-system level.
• Contributions to high-level design in one or more engineering disciplines (in general, detailing and production of models, drawings etc. will not be the responsibility of the systems/development engineer)
• Interaction with other design engineers to understand potential failure modes
• Design and conduct experiments to test both product performance and the performance of manufacturing fixtures.
• Undertake experimental data analysis and produce summary reports.
• Work with and guide junior staff members in executing test plans and interpreting results
• Actively participate in troubleshooting activities including root cause analysis both in the context of new product development and ongoing manufacturing issues.
• Specification of any software or fixtures required for verification activities
• Be proficient at using software for data collection / analysis.
• Working with other engineers to construct the necessary test equipment
• Working with external test houses
• Identify the need for and specify manufacturing test / QA fixtures and processes
• Liaising with manufacturing and service to understand quality issues
• Work within our product development process
• Exercise responsibility for product quality and performance
• Produce the required level of documentation
• Drive continuous improvement of verification processes.
• Manage personal development towards understanding underlying technologies

Basic Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor of Science, either physics or an engineering discipline
• 5 years experience in the design, troubleshooting and manufacture of electro-mechanical equipment (preferably instrumentation)
• Experience of working within a structured development program
• Sufficient engineering / physics / maths knowledge.
• Proven ability to assess technical risk and to recognise failure modes.
• Proven ability to plan a program of work and drive it to completion
• Proven ability to design and construct experiments
• A structured approach to work and the ability to operate within a formal framework.
• Good data analysis and report writing skills
• Ability to use complex software

Advantageous:

• Postgraduate qualification in an engineering or physical science discipline
• Good physics knowledge
• Knowledge of optics
• Experience in developing high precision designs
• Experience of product development within a company making some form of measurement instrumentation
• Familiarity with product design methodologies
• Formal training in FMEA
• Scientific background or interests
• Some business knowledge
• Some programming skills
• Some manufacturing knowledge

Preferred Characteristics

• Ability to work independently or as part of a large team.
• Possessing a task- and goal-oriented mindset
• Analytical thinking driven by data.
• Ability to see both the small and the big picture.
• Possessing strong organizational skills.
• Problem solving aptitude.
• Attention to detail.
• Adaptable to change.