Senior / Staff Materials Development Engineer

Antora Energy • San Jose, CA

13d • $142,000 - $170,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Antora is seeking a Senior/Staff Materials Development Engineer to lead the design, implementation, and optimization of high-temperature mechanical processes and components critical to our thermal energy storage systems. In this role you will be directly responsible for developing novel materials to meet Antora's need for significant thermal battery production in 2026.
Your contributions will directly impact Antora’s ability to scale manufacturing, improve part quality, and reduce system costs.

Requirements

• B.S. or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in mechanical process engineering, manufacturing engineering, or related roles.
• First principles approach, curiosity driven
• Demonstrated experience with high-temperature systems (>1000°C), including thermal process equipment or furnace design.
• Background in designing metal components and fixtures.
• Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, Inventor, NX, or equivalent).
• Experience working directly with machinists and fabricators to develop functional prototypes and qualifying production parts.
• Hands-on experience executing DOEs and analyzing experimental data.
• Demonstrated experience in project leadership & direct executive communication.
• Direct experience with novel material development.
• Direct experience with zero-to-one hardware development

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with high-temperature material properties, failure modes, and thermomechanical design principles.
• Definition, setup, and execution of thermal models & simulations
• Experience in startup or high-growth manufacturing environments.
• Exposure to thermal battery systems or other energy storage technologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and validation of high-temperature (>1000°C) thermal process equipment and associated hardware.
• Develop and execute rigorous Design of Experiments (DOEs) to establish robust and scalable manufacturing processes.
• Define, design, procure, build, test, and analyze platforms (mechanical + instrumentation + controls) required to execute DOEs.
• Generate detailed part and assembly design files (CAD) for prototyping and production.
• Collaborate closely with furnace operators, machinists, and fabrication partners to bring designs to life, from concept through final processing and inspection.
• Analyze process performance and quality metrics to identify root causes of yield loss and implement cost-effective improvements.
• Support the transition of designs from R&D to scaled production.
• Continuously improve part quality, repeatability, and throughput while lowering costs.

Benefits

• equity compensation in the form of stock options
• a premium health benefits package with life and disability insurance
• a 401K plan with employer contributions
• flexible spending accounts
• an industry leading paid-time-off policy that features flexible and inclusive holiday observance
• paid volunteer time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees