Instrument Engineer, On Call
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 12, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 12, 2026.
We are a vibrant and intensely mission-driven team in San Francisco, comprising members from MIT, Harvard Medical School, Roche, ETH, and Dana-Farber.
We value speed and rigor, coupled with excitement, drive, and a strong work ethic. In an early-stage environment, we value people who can bring clarity to open-ended problems, take ownership of the next steps, and follow through with energy.
Capable Labs is a place for ambitious, high-integrity people who want to become dramatically better. You will be surrounded by people who care intensely about the work, get close feedback from the people making scientific and company-defining decisions, and have room to own increasingly important problems.
We believe excellent work should be met with meaningful reward, ownership, and trust. Responsibility is earned through contribution, not title alone: anyone who demonstrates the judgment, rigor, and follow-through to move important work forward can earn meaningful scope.
About the Role
You will keep the instruments behind Capable’s chemistry lab running around the clock. Our chemists synthesize and purify new compounds every day on microwave synthesizers, parallel synthesizers, flash and prep HPLC, evaporators and LC/MS. You will diagnose and repair failures quickly, run preventive maintenance, and install new equipment as the lab grows, working closely with chemists to keep their work moving and to help decide what we buy next.
This is a contract role, on site in San Francisco, with on call coverage nights and weekends. Pay is $200 an hour and this role is not eligible for benefits.
Responsibilities
Troubleshoot and repair microwave synthesizers, flash and prep HPLC systems, evaporators, LC/MS and liquid handlers
Respond to instrument failures within 24 hours
Preventive maintenance and calibration
Spare parts inventory
Vendor service coordination
Install and qualify new instruments
Ideal Qualifications
3+ years in instrument field service, lab automation or a core facility
Repair experience with microwave synthesizers and/or other automated parallel synthesis platforms
Fluidics, pneumatics and basic electronics
Comfortable working with strong acids and organic solvents
Lives within the Bay Area
Pay & Benefits
In addition to the posted salary range, we offer generous equity options.
Compensation will depend on the skills, experience, and scope of impact you bring. If your background, experience, or compensation needs fall outside this range, we are still open to a conversation based on the scope and impact you could bring.
$500+ monthly wellness budget for training, supplements, coaching, recovery, or other tools that help you perform at your best.
Healthcare: We offer a broad range of medical, dental, and vision coverage options, with Capable covering 100% of the base policy.
You will also have access to HSA, FSA, and 401K plans.
Healthy dinners with the team are provided daily.
We support visa sponsorship where appropriate, including O-1, H-1B, J-1, TN, and other employment-based pathways. Our team is already international, with members from Canada, Pakistan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, China, India, and the United States.
Application Process
Our process is fast, transparent, and personal. We care about getting to know the person behind the application.
Initial application
First phone screen
Second phone screen
In-person work trial in San Francisco: designed to give both sides a realistic sense of working together. Get to know the founding team!
Apply Today
Curious but not sure? Apply anyway. It takes 5 minutes, and you do not need to be actively job searching to start a conversation.
Some of the best people do not map perfectly to a job description. If this sounds like a place where you could do important work, we would like to hear from you.
And if someone exceptional comes to mind, send them our way here. We read every referral carefully, and if your referral joins Capable, we’ll send you a thank-you bonus.
Equal Opportunity
Capable is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Capable is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.