Senior Staff Equipment Mechanical Design Engineer

Amperesand is seeking an accomplished and innovative Senior Staff Equipment Mechanical Design Engineer to drive the development of custom equipment for manufacturing power electronics products. The role is responsible for architecting, designing, and validating high-performance mechanical systems and automation equipment for high-power-density and thermally constrained environments. The engineer will collaborate with product design, manufacturing, controls engineering, and test engineering teams to develop scalable and reliable equipment solutions meeting performance, cost, and throughput targets. The role also supports design for manufacturability (DFM), design for excellence (DFX), and design for assembly (DFA), translating hardware concepts into production-ready systems for high-volume, high-reliability manufacturing.

Responsibilities:

• Conceptualize, design, and develop custom automation equipment, tooling, and fixtures.
• Utilize CAD software such as SolidWorks, CATIA, and AutoCAD to create detailed mechanical designs.
• Contribute to product DFA to improve manufacturing cost and quality.
• Conduct stress analysis, thermal analysis, and tolerance stack-ups.
• Design equipment for manufacturability, assembly, and reliability.
• Develop mechanical systems incorporating servo motors, actuators, pneumatics, hydraulics, and robotics.
• Integrate PLCs, HMIs, sensors, and vision systems with controls and electrical engineers.
• Optimize equipment for repeatability, precision, availability, and cycle time.
• Lead prototyping, vendor coordination, fabrication, and testing.
• Conduct design and process validation for new equipment.
• Perform root cause analysis and troubleshooting of mechanical failures.
• Develop assembly-line automation solutions, robotic cells, and material-handling systems.
• Act as technical lead for large-scale equipment design and procurement.
• Coordinate with controls, electrical, and software teams.
• Manage vendors and suppliers for custom mechanical components and automation systems.
• Lead design reviews, FMEA, and risk assessments.
• Identify equipment optimization, efficiency improvement, and cost-reduction opportunities.
• Implement Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles.
• Develop standardized design guidelines for equipment scalability.
• Ensure designs meet OSHA, CE, UL, and ISO regulations.
• Implement safety interlocks, fail-safes, and ergonomic considerations.
• Work with EH&S teams on regulatory compliance and risk mitigation.

Qualifications:

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of professional mechanical design experience and 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience.
• Hands-on experience with fixture, tooling, and automation design for manufacturing.
• Expert proficiency with CAD software including 3DEXPERIENCE, CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, and Creo.
• Experience with DFM and DFA methodologies.
• Expertise in FEA and structural analysis for stress, structural, and vibration studies.
• Experience leading large-scale capital equipment design projects.
• Strong background in concept-to-production equipment development.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers and lead design reviews.
• Experience with process development, optimization, and troubleshooting in high-volume production environments.
• Experience with precision machining, welding, sheet metal fabrication, injection molding, or additive manufacturing is preferred.
• Solid understanding of GD&T and its impact on manufacturability.
• Experience with servo motors, pneumatics, hydraulics, linear actuators, and PLC-controlled systems.
• Experience designing automated assembly lines, integrating robotics, and developing custom mechanical solutions.
• Knowledge of motion control, pneumatics, hydraulics, and sensors.
• Experience collaborating with electrical, software, and manufacturing teams.
• Ability to lead design reviews, FMEA, and process validations.
• Proven track record of cost reductions, yield improvements, and process efficiencies.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 20%, including internationally.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in Agile development environments using Scrum methodologies and Jira.
• Strong background in structural, thermal, and vibration analysis using Ansys Mechanical, Fluent, and Maxwell.
• Familiarity with electronics packaging and PCB interface considerations.
• Experience with medium- to high-voltage systems and insulation coordination, including creepage, clearance, potting, and sealing.
• Basic knowledge of digital and analog electronics.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and incentive stock options.
• Medical, vision, and dental benefits for employees and dependents from the start of employment.
• Company-paid basic life, AD&D, short-term, and long-term disability insurance.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan through Empower.
• Paid time off, paid sick days, and paid company holidays.
• Commuter benefits.
• Paid maternal leave of 12 weeks and paternal leave of 6 weeks.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Amperesand is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the interview process.