Senior Mechanical Engineer

Terranova • Berkeley, CA

5h

About The Position

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Terranova, you will own the mechanical design of large-scale industrial systems while maintaining a systems-level overview across mechanical, electrical, and controls disciplines. You thrive in a startup environment - owning problems end-to-end, moving fast, and building machines that survive the real world. You’ll lead projects from concept through field deployment: designing, analyzing, fabricating, and testing large-scale robotic systems that operate in the most demanding environments on Earth. Expect to be hands-on, spend long hours in the factory and in the field working alongside technicians and operators.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in mechanical or electromechanical hardware design and analysis (plus for experience in machinery, robotics, or heavy industrial equipment )
• Strong CAD proficiency (OnShape, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or NX)
• Hands-on fabrication and prototyping skills - you enjoy working in the shop
• Deep mechanical intuition and ability to design from first principles
• Comfortable with the pace and intensity of early-stage startup life, including long days, 6-day workweeks, and extended field hours
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• U.S. permanent residency required

Nice To Haves

• Experience in high voltage AC power (480V, 120+ kW) conversion systems and lithium batteries
• Experience with pumps and fluidics
• Experience with bulk material handling (conveyance)
• Experience in electromechanical controls, hydraulics, or field-deployed systems
• Familiarity with C++, Python, or similar for controls or simulation
• Experience with compliance, HAZOP, or FMEA tools for machine safety
• PCB and embedded systems design skills are a huge bonus
• Have worked on development of heavy machinery, high power systems, pumps
• Maker background - love building stuff, work is fun to you
• Coming from a startup environment - high ownership, fast paced environment

Responsibilities

• Act as an extreme owner for mechanical and electromechanical aspects of Terranova's field deployed industrial systems
• Perform first-principles engineering, FEA, hand calculations to optimize designs for real-world operation environments
• Lead prototype builds, execute test campaigns, and push hardware to its limits to ensure field reliability
• Collaborate closely with electrical, controls, and field deployment teams to deliver integrated, battle-tested systems
• Drive failure analysis, testing, and iterative improvement based on real-world data

What This Job Offers

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