Design Engineer; Mechanical Engineering

About the Role

Join to apply for the Design Engineer (Mechanical Engineering) role at 1st Avenue Power.

Join to apply for the Design Engineer (Mechanical Engineering) role at 1st Avenue Power.

At 1st Avenue Power, we are on a mission to deliver simple, fast-to-deploy, customer-centric and intelligent power systems leveraging the abundance of solar to provide inexpensive and reliable clean energy to global customers from data centers to energy starved communities around the world. We envision a future where every community, business, and nation thrives on the limitless potential of clean energy, united in a shared commitment to a sustainable and equitable world.

You will be working with Dr. Tom Buttgenbach, one of the most successful clean energy technology innovators and entrepreneur who has been a driving force in making solar-based energy solutions the cheapest and most reliable energy option. Tom founded and led Avantus (formerly known as "8minute Solar Energy"), to become one of the largest and most profitable solar and energy storage companies in the United States and the largest in California, including delivering over 17% of Los Angeles' power.

When Tom sold his interest in Avantus' development business to KKR in mid-2024, it had delivered over $1 billion in profit and secured over $10 Billion in power purchase agreements and project financings with a pipeline of over 30 GW of solar and 90 GWh of energy storage, capable of powering the homes of more than 20 million Americans day and night.

Tom's family office investment firm, 1st Avenue Capital, is building teams for the next generation of advanced solar power system architecture and AI to aggressively drive down the cost of and equitable access to clean and reliable energy.

1st Avenue's advanced large scale power systems are addressing the increasing inadequacy of the grid to meet the massively growing power demands of the digital economy, while its intelligent distributed solar utilities are leapfrogging the grid to provide equitable access to inexpensive, clean and reliable power to underserved communities around the world.

Join a groundbreaking team of proven leaders at the forefront of the clean energy transition. The Design Engineer will be a key part of the product development team with a focus on product design, CAD/technical drawings, field and lab testing.

• Leadership Impact: As a Design Engineer you will have a key role in the development of 1st Avenue Power's ground-breaking technology
• Growth Potential: 1st Avenue Power and the project pipeline is in high growth mode, offering excellent opportunities for career growth and professional development.
• Co-Founder Mindset: This is an opportunity for a passionate and driven individual to join a groundbreaking team and contribute significantly to our mission. We encourage candidates who bring a co-founder mindset, with a focus on ownership, innovation, and a deep commitment to building a sustainable and equitable energy future.

• Support all aspects of product development and engineering
• Design Cycles and Initiatives
• Prototyping
• CAD
• Testing Support as needed
• Field Validation
• Sourcing and Procurement
• Certifications
• Other duties as assigned

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering (or similar discipline)
• Proficiency with Solidworks or similar CAD software
• Proven track record of strong mechanical design capabilities
• Comfortable working in a high-paced startup environment
• Computer and Workplace software proficiency
• Other duties as assigned

• Experience with mechanical design and product development
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills

• Competitive Compensation Package
• Remote Flexibility with 5-15% travel to sites as needed
• Health Insurance: 100% employee premiums covered under a Gold-level PPO
• Dental & Vision Insurance: 50% of employee premiums covered
• Retirement Plan: 401(k) with a 6% employer match

1AI Energy, the employing entity for 1st Avenue Power, and 1st Avenue Power are committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or other protected status. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities.

Join our team and make a real difference in the world.

California Pay Range

$120,000—$145,000 USD