Mechanical Design Engineer

Swift Solar•San Carlos, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

At Swift Solar, the mission is to unlock the full potential of solar energy through next-generation perovskite-silicon tandem technology. The company’s vertically integrated approach is intended to support domestic design, manufacturing, and scale-up of solar solutions. As a Mechanical Design Engineer, you will work with the equipment engineering team to design, procure, and install parts and assemblies for thin-film deposition and processing equipment. Your designs will help improve process performance and prepare equipment for manufacturing scale-up. Typical work may include designing components for vacuum chambers and other process equipment; producing supplier drawings; performing thermal and mechanical analysis; installing, troubleshooting, and testing assemblies in production mode; documenting findings; and recommending operating procedure or design improvements. You will also help develop engineering practices and documentation standards and collaborate across the company as part of the hardware team. The position is based at Swift Solar headquarters in San Carlos, California. The role is full-time, with an expected pay range of $120,000–$140,000 per year. The ideal start date is December 2026 to January 2027. Compensation includes salary, equity, and benefits, with the actual offer based on relevant experience, skills, and other qualifications.

Requirements

At least 5 years of industrial engineering experience working with vacuum equipment or other materials processing equipment in photovoltaics, semiconductors, batteries, or a similar industry.
Experience working with suppliers and optimizing designs for manufacturability, cost, and serviceability.
Proficiency with a formal document control system and release process for parts and drawings.
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
Experience using 3D CAD software to design parts made by machining, 3D printing, sheet metal processes, and/or welding.
Enjoy working with suppliers to source quality parts, testing systems designed by you and the team, and troubleshooting complex systems.
Desire to learn standards and best practices and help improve engineering processes.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of dimensioning and tolerance analysis, including ASME Y14.5M.
Experience with computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis for flow, thermal, and structural simulations using ANSYS or similar software.
Experience releasing prototype equipment into high-volume manufacturing.
Experience drafting 2D electrical schematics for industrial controls in AutoCAD or similar software.
Vacuum equipment design experience.
Experience with SolidWorks; preferred 3D CAD software.

Responsibilities

Design, procure, and install parts and assemblies for thin-film deposition and processing equipment.
Design components for vacuum chambers and other process equipment.
Prepare drawings for suppliers to source high-quality parts quickly and cost-effectively.
Perform thermal and mechanical analysis of new assemblies.
Install, troubleshoot, and test assemblies in production mode.
Document test findings and consider operating procedure and design changes based on testing.
Help develop Swift’s engineering practices and documentation standards.
Collaborate with the equipment engineering team and teams across the company.