Mechanical Engineer in Houston

Energy Jobline ZR; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

BPM Microsystems is seeking a hands-on Mechanical Engineer in Houston to design, build, and perfect automated semiconductor programming equipment. You will own hardware from sketch to production, work across robotics, motion, optics, and laser integration, and collaborate with electrical, software, and production teams.

The role emphasizes rapidPrototype cycles, ECO processing, and field-ready hardware, with in-house 3D printing and machining supporting fast iterations and reliable performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with hands-on design experience.
• Experience with automated equipment, robotics, or production machinery.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks for parts, assemblies, and drawings.
• Demonstrated rapid prototyping cycles with hardware outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Rapidly design, fabricate, assemble, and bench-test prototypes, iterating toward production-ready designs.
• Develop automated pick-and-place systems, robotic motion platforms, and electromechanical assemblies.
• Integrate laser marking, tape loaders, and material-handling equipment.
• Specify and integrate motors, encoders, bearings, and other peripherals into machine systems.
• Use in-house and external fabrication and machining to deliver functional hardware quickly.
• Maintain SolidWorks models, drawings, and bills of materials; manage ECOs.

Skills

Mechanical design

Prototyping

Hardware debugging

Communication

Team collaboration

Documentation

Project management

AI tooling familiarity

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

3D printing

CNC machining

Laser cutting

Job description

Job Description

About the Company

BPM Microsystems designs and manufactures automated semiconductor programming equipment used worldwide. Our systems program flash memory, microcontrollers, and other non-volatile devices that power computers, vehicles, industrial electronics, and consumer products. Engineering, production, and support are based in Houston, Texas.

About the Role

We are hiring a hands-on Mechanical Engineer who moves quickly from concept to working hardware. This role is centered on machine-level robotics and automation, including pick-and-place systems, laser marking, tape loaders, and related electromechanical subsystems, and it spans the full cycle from rapid prototyping through production release.

BPM is a versatile engineering organization. You may be prototyping a new handler one week, integrating a laser marking head the next, and troubleshooting a tape loader on the production floor after that. You will own SolidWorks models and engineering documentation, drive the Engineering Change Order (ECO) process for the equipment you support, and work closely with electrical engineering, software, and production.

What Sets This Role Apart

• Speed: prototypes are built, tested, and revised in days, not months. You will make decisions with the information available and refine designs based on what the hardware shows.
• Breadth: projects span robotics, motion, optics and laser integration, material handling, fixtures, and enclosures. Priorities shift, and the candidate should adapt with them.
• Ownership: you carry designs end to end, from first sketch through CAD, fabrication, bench test, ECOs, and production support.
• Hands-on: you are comfortable at the machine, in the shop, and on the production floor, not only at a workstation.

Responsibilities

• Rapidly design, fabricate, assemble, and bench-test prototypes of mechanisms and subassemblies, then iterate quickly toward production-ready designs.
• Design, develop, and sustain automated pick-and-place systems, robotic motion platforms, and machine-level electromechanical assemblies.
• Integrate laser marking, tape loaders, tape-and-reel interfaces, feeders, and other automated material-handling equipment.
• Specify and integrate motors, encoders, bearings, linear motion, cameras, and other peripherals into complete machine systems.
• Use in-house 3D printing (FDM, SLA, and SLS), in-house and external machining, and external sheet metal and quick-turn suppliers to get functional hardware in hand fast, selecting the right process for each iteration.
• Create and maintain SolidWorks models, detailed drawings, bills of materials, and complete design packages.
• Write, review, and process Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) to release and sustain production designs.
• Support machine bring-up, troubleshooting, and long-term reliability improvements on pick-and-place, laser, tape, and robotic systems.
• Manage several projects at once with competing priorities, and shift focus as business needs change.
• Use AI-assisted engineering tools to improve the quality and speed of documentation, ECO drafts, checklists, and related engineering work, while remaining accountable for technical accuracy.
• Apply structured engineering methods such as FMEA and root-cause analysis, and support cost estimates so designs meet performance, schedule, and budget targets.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Master’s is .
• Approximately 2 years of hands‑on mechanical design experience, gained through industry roles, internships, or competitive collegiate engineering teams such as Baja SAE, Formula SAE, or rocketry. This role centers on automated equipment, robotics, and similar production machinery.
• A track record of fast prototyping cycles: you can point to projects where you took a concept to physical, tested hardware in days or weeks.
• A portfolio of mechanical work you have designed and built, such as machines, mechanisms, fixtures, or competition‑vehicle systems, showing the path from CAD to working hardware.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks for parts, assemblies, drawings, and design documentation, with the ability to model complex assemblies quickly and cleanly.
• Hands‑on experience with rapid prototyping and fabrication methods such as 3D printing (FDM, SLA, SLS), CNC machining, sheet metal, and laser cutting, including a practical understanding of what each process does well.
• Strong mechanical intuition and hardware debugging skills across mechanical, electrical, and control interfaces at the machine-system level.
• Working knowledge of bills of materials, ECOs, new product introduction, and manufacturing release processes.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills for collaboration with internal teams and external suppliers.

Qualifications

• Experience with pick‑and‑place equipment, robotic handlers, or semiconductor automation.
• Mechanical integration of laser marking systems, tape loaders, tape‑and‑reel systems, feeders, or other automated material handling.
• Motion control, encoders, mechatronics, and a working understanding of electrical fundamentals.
• Sheet metal and machined‐part design for production equipment.
• Basic GD&T and tolerance stack‑up fluency for machine assemblies.
• Experience using AI tools, such as Cursor, to support documentation, analysis, and engineering productivity.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001:2015 and CE marking for industrial equipment.
• Finite element analysis (stress, thermal, or vibration) for machine structures and high‑cycle mechanisms.
• Prior experience in a startup, robotics, hardware R&D, or similar fast‑iteration environment.