Principal R&D Engineer, Diagnostic Consumables

IDEXX is looking for an experienced Principal R&D Engineer, Diagnostic Consumables to lead the development of high-volume, single-use consumables for our veterinary diagnostics platforms.

In this role, you’ll work at the intersection of engineering, life sciences, and manufacturing—collaborating with assay scientists, instrument teams, and external partners to bring innovative, cost-effective products to market. From early material selection to physics-based modeling and USDA-compliant commercialization, your impact will be felt across the entire product lifecycle.

What you’ll do:

• Own the technical vision for diagnostic consumables, guiding concept development from material selection through commercialization.

• Drive advanced modeling and simulation (ANSYS, COMSOL) to establish design principles  across fluidic, thermal, and mechanical domains.

• Shape cross-functional strategy by partnering with assay scientists, instrument engineers, and external vendors to deliver integrated, scalable solutions.

• Lead design reviews and risk assessments ensuring robust validation strategies and regulatory compliance under USDA standards.

• Mentor and develop junior engineers, fostering technical excellence and building organizational capability in diagnostic system engineering.

• Influence long-term roadmaps, contributing to portfolio planning and innovation pipelines that expand IDEXX’s diagnostic capabilities.

• Champion manufacturability and cost-effectiveness, ensuring designs translate seamlessly into high-volume, regulated production environments.

• Contribute to technical roadmaps and mentor junior team members

What you need to succeed:

• Ph.D. or Master’s in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field

• 8+ years of experience in diagnostic consumables or medical device development

• Strong proficiency in analytical modeling; SolidWorks experience is a plus

• Proven success in high-volume, regulated manufacturing environments

• Excellent communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills

• Experience designing and integrating microfluidic systems

• Familiarity with high-volume web-based manufacturing technologies

• Track record of developing high-volume assay consumables or diagnostic products

What you can expect from us:  

• Salary range starting at $160,000based on experience

• Opportunity for annual cash bonus 

• Health / Dental / Vision Benefits Day-One 

• 5% matching 401k 

• Additional benefits including but not limited to financial support, pet insurance, mental health resources, volunteer paid days off, employee stock program, foundation donation matching, and much more 

If you’re looking for a role that’ll challenge you, offer a variety of work and learning, while helping an amazing industry, we’d love to hear from you!  

Why IDEXX:

We’re proud of the work we do because our work matters. An innovation leader in every industry we serve, we follow our Purpose and Guiding Principles to help pet owners worldwide keep their companion animals healthy and happy, to ensure safe drinking water for billions, and to help farmers protect livestock and poultry from disease. We have customers in over 175 countries and a global workforce of over 10,000 talented people.

So, what does that mean for you? We enrich the livelihoods of our employees with a positive and respectful work culture that embraces challenges and encourages learning and discovery. At IDEXX, you will be supported by competitive compensation, incentives, and benefits while enjoying purposeful work that drives improvement.

Let’s pursue what matters together.

About the job location:

If you’re thinking about relocating for this role, here are a few things to know about living in Maine (often called “Vacationland”). The Westbrook, ME area provides great access to active downtown areas and the outdoors, with the coast and numerous mountains and hiking trails nearby. You’ll also find a number of large companies like ours in the area, creating a vibrant work culture.

You can learn more on the Portland tourism website:  https://www.visitportland.com/visit/resources/moving-to-maine/

IDEXX values a diverse workforce and workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.

IDEXX is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibitedby local, state, or federal laws.

While we appreciate our staffing partners, we are unable to accept unsolicited agency resumes.

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