Mechanical Engineer, Precision Automation
About The Position
Electroninks is seeking a full-time Mechanical Engineer, Precision Automation to join the CircuitJet Team. This role involves designing machine gantries, specifying sheet metal enclosures, selecting motors, wiring components, and determining the best approach (mechanical vs. electrical) for problem-solving. The engineer will collaborate closely with experienced electrical engineers, focusing significantly on mechanical engineering while also thinking across domains to build real machines. The position requires owning the structural and motion architecture of complex, multi-process machines, including precision gantries, sheet metal enclosures, CNC-machined stages, tool changers, fixturing, and board handling, all while maintaining micron-level accuracy and production-ready reliability. Responsibilities extend to building reliable processes for pick-and-place, laser ablation, inkjet printing, solder paste dispensing, alignment, and calibration. As the company transitions from hand-built prototypes to contract-manufactured production, the engineer will play a key role in scaling the machine. This role is ideal for individuals who have built their own 3D printers or robots, are enthusiastic about manufacturing machines, and are interested in a single platform that handles the full PCBA stack locally. The team consists of industry experts passionate about crafting the perfect machine and process.
Requirements
- BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or equivalent practical experience.
- 3+ years building robots, machines, or mechatronics systems professionally.
- Strong experience designing precision motion systems, gantries, CNC machines, robotics, or automation equipment.
- Hands-on machine building experience, either professionally (CNC routers, pick-and-place, production equipment) or through personal projects (custom 3D printers, robots, laser cutters).
- Deep CAD proficiency.
- Solid mechanics fundamentals: stiffness, tolerances, bearings, drivetrains, vibration, thermal effects.
- Comfortable with fabrication (3D printing, machining, laser cutting, sheet metal).
- Hands-on electrical integration (wiring motors, sensors, drives) working alongside experienced EEs.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with high-precision linear stages, micron-scale positioning, servo systems, or closed-loop motion.
- Familiarity with machine vision-driven alignment and mechanical design to support optical calibration.
- Background in industrial automation, semiconductor tools, PCB equipment, or lab instrumentation.
- Experience designing for DFM and low-volume production scaling to contract manufacturing.
- Excited about using AI in engineering workflow for calculations, component selection, and design critiques, while maintaining own judgment.
- Personal projects demonstrating genuine passion for machines (e.g., custom 3D printer, robot, home CNC).
Responsibilities
- Design and detail the machine, architecting multi-axis gantry systems, structural frames, sheet metal enclosures, and CNC-machined stages.
- Select linear guides, ball screws, motors, bearings, and drives to meet accuracy, stiffness, and throughput targets.
- Design toolhead mounts, board handling, fixturing, and transfer mechanisms.
- Specify and wire motors, encoders, sensors, drivers, and cabling into mechanical assemblies, collaborating with EEs.
- Determine whether to solve problems with a mechanism or with sensors and cables.
- Develop reliable, repeatable processes for pick-and-place, laser ablation, conductive inkjet printing, solder paste dispensing, board handling, alignment, and calibration.
- Characterize process windows and iterate until each station performs to specification.
- Assemble prototype gantries and subsystems hands-on.
- Debug, align, and test for repeatability.
- Work with materials scientists to translate ink and paste properties into machine parameters for consistent results.
- Assist in scaling production from hand-built units to working with contract manufacturers for volume.
- Design for manufacturability, serviceability, and cost reduction.
- Produce detailed CAD assemblies, drawings, BOMs, tolerance stacks, and interface documentation.
Benefits
- Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance – provided by Employer
- Short-term Disability, Long-term Disability – provided by Employer
- Life Insurance – provided by Employer
- 401(K) Plan with 2% match
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Paid Holidays
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Number of Employees
1-10 employees
