Senior Mechanical Engineer

SPAN • San Francisco, CA

11d • $107,000 - $142,000 • Onsite

About The Position

SPAN is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to join our Mechanical team in San Francisco. This role involves hands-on technical mechanical design work, including 3D CAD modeling and 2D drafting according to ASME Y14.5-2018 standards. The position also requires ownership of systems and workflows to ensure the global mechanical engineering organization operates cohesively. The role will focus on SF-side prioritization, intake, and shared-tooling workstreams that connect the San Francisco and India offices, architecting templates, conventions, workflows, and collaboration infrastructure. Additionally, the Senior Mechanical Engineer will work with manufacturing partners in China and Southeast Asia, driving DFM reviews, resolving tooling and assembly issues, and shepherding pilot builds. This role will also serve as a technical resource and mentor for less experienced engineers.

Requirements

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or a related field; advanced degree a plus.
• A track record of identifying systemic issues and executing on resolutions to drive structural fixes that balanced competing inputs (design intent, manufacturability, cost, schedule) and outlasted any single project.
• 5+ years of experience in mechanical design with substantial application of ASME Y14.5-2018, or a Master's degree with 2+ years of equivalent experience.
• Strong proficiency in SolidWorks; deep familiarity with other parametric modeling tools is a viable substitute.
• Proven experience performing tolerance analysis and contributing to FMEA processes.
• Hands-on experience using product life cycle management (PLM) tools to manage engineering projects through their lifecycle.
• Proficient with the Google Workspace suite of tools (Sheets, Slides, Docs, Drive) for documentation, tracking, and cross-office collaboration.
• Experience owning prioritization and sequencing of work across competing requests — a meaningful portion of this role is deciding what work goes where, and when.
• Communicate clearly and patiently in writing — much of the cross-office and vendor collaboration happens asynchronously over email, chat, and drawing markups.
• Comfortable with occasional early-morning or evening calls to overlap with teams in India, China, and Southeast Asia.
• A track record of creating Standard Operating Procedures for product manufacturing or test execution.
• Prior experience mentoring or serving as a technical resource for less experienced engineers.
• Prior experience working with international design teams or offshore CAD/drafting resources.
• Experience collaborating with contract manufacturers or tooling vendors in China, India, or Southeast Asia.

Nice To Haves

• A process- or tooling-improvement mindset — you've built templates, conventions, scripts, macros, or workflows that helped a team run more smoothly.
• Experience automating JIRA workflows — custom dashboards, automation rules, intake forms, or integrations that reduced manual coordination overhead.
• Familiarity with electrical systems and mechanical design integration.
• Experience demonstrating product performance through Engineering and Design Verification Test phases.
• Knowledge of industry standards and practices in manufacturing and product design.
• Cross-cultural communication experience or fluency in a second language relevant to our partner regions.

Responsibilities

• Create detailed 3D CAD models and 2D drawings, ensuring compliance with ASME Y14.5-2018 standards.
• Own the prioritization, intake, and sequencing of CAD work flowing between the San Francisco and India offices, serving as the SF-side point of contact for cross-office coordination.
• Architect and maintain the shared tools, templates, file management conventions, and collaboration workflows that allow our distributed mechanical engineering team to function as a single team across time zones.
• Drive DFM/DFA reviews with manufacturing vendors in China and Southeast Asia, resolve tooling and assembly issues, and protect design intent through production.
• Perform tolerance analysis and contribute substantively to Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) processes.
• Document design specifications and decisions clearly to maintain transparency across distributed teams.
• Apply product life cycle management tools and processes to manage revisions and maintain design integrity.
• Lead resolution of design issues, driving modifications that improve product performance.
• Define product performance requirements and test criteria for verification and validation.
• Drive product modules and components from concept to production volume while improving cost and quality.
• Serve as a technical resource and mentor for less experienced engineers, sharing standards, best practices, and operational knowledge across the team.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation + equity grants at a well-funded, venture-backed company
• Comprehensive benefits: 100% employee premiums for base plans on medical, dental, vision with options for additional coverage.
• Parental leave up to twenty four (24) weeks depending on eligibility
• Comfortable, sunny office space located near BART and Caltrain public transit
• Strong focus on team building and company culture: Employee Resource Groups, monthly social events, SPANcakes recognition breakfast, lunch, and learns
• Flexible hours, one holiday per month, and flexible time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior