Lead Mechanical Design Engineer

FormFactor, Inc.; Livermore (CA); On-site; USD 110,700 - 145,320; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Life insurance & disability coverage

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Paid time off

Profit-sharing bonuses

Job summary

FormFactor, Inc. in Livermore, CA is seeking a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to design, validate and deliver advanced mechanical solutions for our semiconductor test equipment. You will lead hands-on prototyping, analysis, and cross-functional collaboration across engineering and manufacturing teams.

The role requires strong CAD skills, GD&T, and experience in prototyping and design reviews. We offer a comprehensive benefits package and growth opportunities within a global leader in test

Qualifications

• Strong proficiency with 3D CAD modeling, mechanical drawings, assemblies, and engineering documentation.
• Working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance analysis, design for manufacturability, and mechanical assembly practices.
• Ability to work hands-on in a lab, prototype build, inspection, or manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting design reviews, engineering validation, troubleshooting, and cross-functional problem solving.
• Clear communication skills and the ability to coordinate technical work across engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Knowledge of inspection methods, metrology, mechanical testing, and prototype validation.
• Demonstrated ability to improve design processes, templates, standards, and documentation for repeatability and scalability.

Responsibilities

• Create and release detailed mechanical designs for precision components, characterization fixtures, validation structures, and mechanical assemblies.
• Build, inspect, assemble, and troubleshoot prototype hardware during development, validation, and product release phases.
• Participate in root-cause analysis, failure investigations, inspection reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Use 3D CAD tools to create models, layouts, detailed drawings, and bills of materials for manufacturable designs.
• Perform engineering analysis, including tolerance studies, fit checks, design reviews, and basic finite element analysis when needed.
• Translate product, customer, process, and manufacturing requirements into robust mechanical design solutions.
• Support probe card mechanical design and architecture development, through detailed design, prototype build, validation, and production release.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, process, and R&D teams to resolve product manufacturing issues and probe card issues in the field.
• Evaluate design feasibility, manufacturability, reliability, cost, and scalability before release.
• Maintain and improve mechanical design templates, documentation standards, drawing practices, and design workflows.
• Translate analytical results into design improvements and actionable engineering recommendations.

Skills

3D CAD Modeling

Geometric Dimensioning And Tolerancing

Design for Manufacturability

Problem Solving

Mechanical Design

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

Precision Metrology

Cross-functional Collaboration

Prototype Validation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

PhD (with relevant experience)

Tools

Autodesk AutoCAD

SolidWorks

SolidWorks PDM

Job description

FormFactor, Inc. in Livermore, CA is seeking a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to design, validate and deliver advanced mechanical solutions for our semiconductor test equipment. You will lead hands-on prototyping, analysis, and cross-functional collaboration across engineering and manufacturing teams.

The role requires strong CAD skills, GD&T, and experience in prototyping and design reviews. We offer a comprehensive benefits package and growth opportunities within a global leader in test