Mechanical Engineer III – Value Engineering

Applied Materials•Gloucester, MA

About The Position

Applied Materials is hiring a Mechanical Engineer III focused on value engineering. The role uses mechanical engineering expertise to solve complex system and component problems while improving cost, supply resiliency, manufacturability, reliability, and product lifecycle performance. The engineer develops and optimizes mechanical designs, tooling, and processes, and works with suppliers and cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, cost-effective solutions while maintaining system performance and product requirements. The position includes leading or executing value engineering initiatives such as cost reduction, alternate material evaluation, supplier transitions, process changes, and component redesign. It supports new product introduction (NPI), engineering change order (ECO) execution, supplier qualification, and multi-sourcing. The engineer conducts mechanical analysis and validation, prepares engineering documentation, and communicates technical tradeoffs to inform business decisions. The role works independently with minimal guidance and serves as a resource for less experienced colleagues.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
4–7 years of experience in mechanical engineering, product engineering, manufacturing engineering, supplier engineering, or related technical roles.
Strong experience with mechanical design principles, including sheet metal, weldments, machined components, structural analysis, material selection, and GD&T.
Demonstrated application of Design for Excellence principles, particularly Design for Cost and Design for Manufacturability.
Experience supporting engineering changes, supplier technical discussions, and cross-functional product development activities.
Proficiency with CAD systems and engineering documentation practices.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to translate technical opportunities into measurable business value.

Nice To Haves

Experience in value engineering, cost reduction, supplier engineering, manufacturing engineering, or supply chain engineering environments.
Knowledge of Applied Materials and/or Varian product lifecycle processes, including NPI, ECO execution, supplier qualification, and product support.
Experience with sheet metal fabrication, weldments, machining, castings, coatings, and assembly processes.
Experience leading supplier transitions, multi-sourcing initiatives, localization projects, or redesign-for-cost activities.
Knowledge of should-cost analysis, value analysis/value engineering (VA/VE), and cost modeling methodologies.
Familiarity with semiconductor capital equipment, vacuum systems, structural frames, beamline systems, wafer handling equipment, or similar complex electromechanical products.
Experience qualifying alternate materials, manufacturing processes, and global suppliers.
Working knowledge of quality systems, failure analysis, reliability methods, and root cause investigation tools.
Strong understanding of system-level integration across mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and supply chain disciplines.

Responsibilities

Identify, analyze, and resolve complex mechanical issues across systems, subsystems, fabricated structures, machined components, sheet metal assemblies, and purchased parts, emphasizing cost reduction, supply resiliency, manufacturability, and reliability.
Lead or execute value engineering initiatives, including cost reduction projects, alternate material evaluations, supplier transitions, process changes, and component redesign.
Develop, modify, and optimize mechanical designs, machined components, and tooling while maintaining system performance and product requirements.
Partner with strategic suppliers to develop, qualify, and improve mechanical components, assemblies, coatings, fabricated structures, and manufacturing processes.
Apply Design for Cost, Design for Manufacturability, Design for Assembly, and Design for Supply Chain principles.
Support and lead ECO evaluation and execution, managing technical and operational risk while ensuring design changes deliver measurable value.
Support NPI cost evaluation, design convergence, and localization efforts to meet cost, quality, manufacturability, and supply chain objectives.
Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Supply Chain Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Global Commodity Management, Quality, and Program Management teams.
Define and execute mechanical validation and qualification testing, including structural, thermal, vibration, fatigue, environmental, and reliability assessments.
Perform engineering analysis related to GD&T, tolerance stack-up, material selection, thermal performance, structural integrity, manufacturability, and process capability.
Generate and review engineering specifications, supplier technical requirements, test plans, qualification documentation, and released engineering drawings.
Drive supplier qualification and multi-sourcing activities, including technical assessments, capability reviews, first article evaluations, and manufacturing process validation.
Contribute to value tracking, including savings validation, PPV support, cost modeling, should-cost analysis, and opportunity identification.
Communicate technical tradeoffs involving cost, performance, manufacturability, reliability, and supply chain considerations to influence business decisions.