Mechanical Engineer

Position: Staff Mechanical Engineer
Job Title:

Staff Mechanical Engineer

Job Description

The Staff Mechanical Engineer serves as a recognized subject matter expert in the design and development of advanced manufacturing tooling and equipment. This role leads high-impact engineering programs, defines system architecture, and partners closely with leadership to solve complex technical challenges and advance next-generation manufacturing platforms. The engineer drives technical direction, develops robust and scalable equipment solutions, and ensures alignment with process and manufacturing requirements for cutting-edge thin-film, vacuum, and superconductor-related applications.

Responsibilities

* Lead the design and development of advanced manufacturing tooling and equipment, with a focus on thin-film, vacuum, and related process technologies.

* Define and own the mechanical architecture of complex tools and systems, ensuring scalability, robustness, and manufacturability.

* Drive full product development lifecycle activities from concept and requirements definition through detailed design, prototyping, validation, and release to production.

* Design, model, and document mechanical components and assemblies using Solid Works, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and adherence to engineering standards.

* Apply computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and related analysis methods to optimize system performance, including thermal, fluid, and vacuum behavior.

* Develop and refine tooling and equipment for processes such as CVD and PVD, ensuring they meet performance, safety, and reliability targets.

* Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including process engineering, manufacturing, operations, and leadership, to align equipment design with process needs and factory capabilities.

* Lead cross-functional technical initiatives, providing technical direction, guidance, and mentorship to other engineers and contributors.

* Troubleshoot complex mechanical and system-level issues, identify root causes, and implement effective corrective actions.

* Ensure that equipment designs support efficient installation, operation, maintenance, and continuous improvement in a production environment.

* Prepare and present technical reviews, design justifications, and status updates to stakeholders and leadership.

* Champion best practices in mechanical design, analysis, and documentation to support high-quality, repeatable manufacturing outcomes.

Essential Skills

* Demonstrated subject matter expertise in mechanical design and development of advanced manufacturing tooling and equipment.

* Hands-on CVD tool building and design experience, with the ability to create tooling solutions from concept through deployment.

* Proficiency with Solid Works for 3D modeling, assemblies, and detailed mechanical drawings.

* Experience using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools and methods to analyze and optimize mechanical systems.

* Proven ability to create or develop products from day one and lead them through the entire product development lifecycle.

* In-depth experience working with complex systems, including design from scratch, rather than only maintaining or upgrading mature equipment.

* Experience with thin-film and vacuum-related mechanical systems, including PVD and related process equipment.

* Prior leadership of cross-functional technical initiatives, demonstrating the ability to coordinate and guide multi-disciplinary teams.

* Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to address complex technical challenges in a structured and systematic way.

* Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Additional

Skills & Qualifications

* Experience in designing equipment or tooling for advanced materials manufacturing, such as superconductor-related applications.

* Background in developing robust, scalable mechanical solutions for high-value capital equipment.

* Exposure to next-generation manufacturing platforms and automation-focused equipment design.

* Experience working on high-visibility, high-impact engineering programs with significant external funding or strategic importance.

* Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction and architecture across multiple projects or platforms.

* Interest in contributing to the build-out of new manufacturing facilities and associated tooling infrastructure.

Work Environment

This role is based onsite Monday through Friday in a manufacturing and engineering environment. The engineer works closely with cross-functional teams in a facility focused on advanced tooling and equipment for thin-film, vacuum, and superconductor-related manufacturing. The environment involves regular interaction with mechanical design tools such as Solid Works and analysis tools including CFD, as well as hands-on engagement with complex CVD, PVD, and vacuum systems on the shop floor.

The position offers the opportunity to contribute to a significant, government-backed investment in a new plant and to shape next-generation manufacturing…