{"id":3419302,"url":"https://alion.io/job/prolific-machines-senior-field-deployment-engineer","title":"Senior Field Deployment Engineer","company":{"id":685503,"name":"Prolific Machines","domain":"prolific-machines.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/prolific-machines","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":null},"role":"DevOps","role_family":"DevOps","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Emeryville, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":120000,"max":170000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":170000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Bioreactors","optional":true},{"name":"Cell Culture","optional":true},{"name":"FMEA","optional":true},{"name":"GLP","optional":true},{"name":"GMP","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-28T16:25:09Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-28","last_verified_at":"2026-10-30T15:51:00Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"description":"This is a foundational, hands-on senior or staff engineering role responsible for deploying, commissioning, and supporting Prolific's systems in real-world operating environments. You will own major field deployments from planning and site preparation through installation, system integration, commissioning, validation, and handoff to customers and internal teams.\nAs a Field Deployment Engineer, you will operate at the intersection of mechanical, electrical, optical, software, controls, data, biology, and bioprocess engineering. You will troubleshoot complex system-level problems, work closely with cross-functional engineering teams, and translate lessons learned in the field into improvements to system design, reliability, and deployment processes.\nA key part of this role will be helping define how Prolific's hardware is deployed at scale. You will be a key collaborator in developing our field deployment strategy, including site requirements, shipping, documentation creation, creating and maintaining records systems, commissioning processes, tooling, serviceability, acceptance criteria, and operational workflows. Your experience in the field will directly inform how future generations of Prolific's hardware are designed, deployed, and supported.\nAnother key aspect of the role is being a master troubleshooter in high demand scenarios. You will be asked to perform a wide range of troubleshooting tasks, oftentimes in time critical situations with limited, remote-only support from subject matter experts.\nThe ideal candidate enjoys working close to real-world systems, is comfortable operating hands-on in labs as well as biomanufacturing facilities, and thrives when solving new technical problems where the correct approach is not always obvious.\nThis role will be primarily based on-site in Emeryville, CA, with regular travel to customer and deployment sites.\nResponsibilities:\nLead hands-on installation, integration, startup, and commissioning of alpha, beta, and deployed systems.\nTroubleshoot and quickly fix complex system-level issues across optical, mechanical, electrical, software, controls, using experiments, diagnostics, and historical data. Often in time-critical situations, with remote-only support from SMEs, in new configurations or environments, and with limited reference documentation.\nOwn major deployments from site readiness and planning through commissioning, handoff, and ongoing support.\nDevelop deployment plans, site requirements, commissioning procedures, system tests, and acceptance criteria.\nWork directly with customers and partners during deployment, including technical training, scheduled maintenance, and troubleshooting.\nServe as a key technical collaborator in defining Prolific's hardware field deployment strategy, using field experience to inform system architecture, installation, serviceability, and operational workflows.\nOwn and improve deployment documentation, including facilities checklists, training materials, SOPs, and field procedures.\nPartner cross-functionally to identify root causes, resolve field issues, and translate deployment learnings into product and process improvements.\nDevelop tools and processes that improve deployment reliability, repeatability, efficiency, and scalability.\nPerform engineering upgrades to field deployed equipment, owning the end-to-end process.\nMentor junior engineers and field technicians in systems integration, commissioning, troubleshooting, and field engineering practices.\nPerform test engineering functions (developing, executing, documenting, and improving tests) on deployable and prototype systems and subsystems.\nRequirements:\nBS or MS with 5+ years of relevant engineering experience, or equivalent experience owning the deployment of complex engineering systems required for the Sr. Engineer level. Additional experience expected at the Staff Engineer level.\nExperience deploying, commissioning, integrating, and supporting prototype systems in laboratory, manufacturing, or customer environments.\nExperience transitioning R&D systems into manufacturing or production environments.\nA customer-focused mindset with a proven track record of achieving internal as well as external project success with delighted customers.\nStrong systems engineering mindset with the ability to troubleshoot interactions across mechanical, electrical, optical, software, controls, and process systems.\nExperience independently leading technical projects or engineering workstreams, including commissioning, validation, acceptance testing, or qualification.\nStrong experimental and analytical skills, with the ability to design tests, analyze data, isolate failure modes, and develop practical engineering solutions.\nExperience with sensors, instrumentation, data acquisition, and automated test equipment; ability to read mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, and system documentation.\nStrong technical communication and documentation skills, with experience working directly with customer engineering, facilities, manufacturing, or operations teams.\nWillingness to travel regularly to customer and deployment sites (domestic and international) and work hands-on with hardware in a dynamic startup environment. Travel estimated to be 30-40%.\nNice to Haves:\nExperience deploying laboratory automation, bioprocessing equipment, manufacturing systems, robotics, optical systems, or complex scientific instrumentation.\nExperience with bioreactors, cell culture, pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotech equipment, or laboratory automation.\nExperience with optical systems, LEDs, spectrometers, photodiodes, or optical measurement equipment.\nExperience with industrial controls, PLCs, motion systems, robotics, or automation.\nExperience with commissioning and qualification in regulated or highly controlled environments.\nFamiliarity with GxP, GMP, or GLP environments.\nExperience with structured root-cause analysis methods such as FMEA, fault-tree analysis, or 5 Whys.\nExperience with CAD, mechanical prototyping, or 3D printing.\nAbout You:\nEnjoy taking complex systems from development through successful real-world deployment.\nComfortable being hands-on with hardware and working directly with systems in the field.\nHighly experienced engineering generalist or specialist in electronics with a background in troubleshooting complex systems under time pressure with limited additional support. \nNaturally think across disciplines and enjoys solving problems spanning mechanical, electrical, optical, software, and biological systems.\nTake ownership of problems through resolution.\nHave a service mindset and take pride in delighting customers\nComfortable troubleshooting ambiguous problems and developing experiments to determine what is actually happening.\nThrive in a dynamic startup environment with evolving requirements.\nCommunicates clearly with engineers, scientists, operators, and customers.\nLook for opportunities to turn one-off solutions into repeatable processes, tools, and engineering practices.\nExcited to help shape how Prolific's hardware is deployed and supported as the company scales.\nEnjoy mentoring other engineers and sharing technical 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