Mechanical Engineer - Precision Systems

Atomic Semi; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

Generous Paid Time Off

Visa Sponsorship

Life and Disability Insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Commuter Benefits

Daily Lunches

Job summary

Atomic Semi in San Francisco seeks a Mechanical Engineer to design and build precision systems in their semiconductor fabrication. The ideal candidate will have 3+ years of experience in precision machine design and a strong prototyping background. Responsibilities include leading mechanical integration and driving designs targeting sub-micron performance. The position offers a competitive salary range of $115,000 – $180,000 and a comprehensive benefits package including medical insurance and paid time off.

Qualifications

• 3 years designing and building precision mechanical systems.
• Working fluency in precision machine design fundamentals.
• Experience with dimensional metrology tools and techniques.

Responsibilities

• Design and iterate on precision machines for semiconductor equipment.
• Lead mechanical system integration and alignment procedures.
• Rapidly prototype and characterize new designs in the lab.

Skills

Precision machine design fundamentals

Hands-on prototyping and fabrication

Dimensional metrology

Integration of precision components

Structural loops and tolerance analysis

Tools

Interferometers

Granite surface plate

CMMs

Job description

About Atomic Semi

Atomic Semi is building a small, fast semiconductor fab. It’s already possible to build this with today’s technology and a few simplifications. We’ll build the tools ourselves so we can quickly iterate and improve.

We’re building a small team of exceptional, hands‑on engineers to make this happen: mechanical, electrical, hardware, computer, and process. We’ll own the stack from atoms to architecture. Our team is optimistic about the future and we want to continue pushing the limits of technology. Smaller is better. Faster is better. Building it ourselves is better. We believe our team and lab can build anything. We’ve set up 3D printers, a wide array of microscopes, e‑beam writers, general fabrication equipment – and whatever is missing, we’ll just invent along the way.

Atomic was founded by Sam Zeloof and Jim Keller. Sam is best known for making chips in his garage, and Jim has been a leader in the semiconductor industry for the past 40 years.

About The Team

The Positioning Team operates on the nanometer scale. We make lithography, metrology and motion systems that pattern, inspect and characterize our chips in order to push our process to lower nodes.

About The Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and hands‑on Mechanical Engineer to join our team. You will be responsible for designing, prototyping, and building the mechanical systems in our semiconductor fabrication equipment, from stages and frames up to complete systems.

This role is for someone who has internalized precision machine design as a discipline and has a proven track record of rapidly prototyping complex precision systems and advancing them to the next stage of production. Our philosophy is to get things built and tested in days or weeks, not months. Therefore a portfolio is generally required to apply: show us the things you’ve actually built!

Responsibilities

• Design and iterate on precision machines, motion stages, structural loops, metrology frames, opto‑mechanical mounts, test fixtures, and inspection tooling targeting sub‑micron to nanometer performance
• Lead mechanical system integration, alignment procedures, and cross‑team coordination with electrical, controls, and optics engineers
• Drive mechanical design of frames, stages, and assemblies with GD&T, tolerance analysis, and a practical eye toward manufacturability and assembly
• Rapidly prototype, build and characterize new designs on the bench using a variety of tools and characterization equipment
• Select and integrate precision components: bearings, encoders, interferometers, actuators, isolators, and dampers
• Develop error budgets and tolerance stack‑ups; identify and mitigate dominant error sources (thermal, vibrational, structural, kinematic)

Required Experience

• 3 years designing and building precision mechanical systems that had to hit real accuracy and repeatability targets
• Working fluency in precision machine design fundamentals: exact‑constraint design, kinematic couplings, flexures, error budgeting, structural loops, tolerance analysis
• Hands‑on prototyping, fabrication, assembly, and alignment experience – you’re comfortable on a mill, on a granite surface plate, and behind an interferometer
• Experience selecting and integrating precision components (bearings, stages, encoders, isolators, actuators)
• Experience with dimensional metrology: interferometry, LVDTs, capacitance probes, autocollimators, and CMMs

Nice‑to‑have

• Formal training in precision engineering
• Experience at an early‑stage startup
• Familiarity with firmware, controls, or electrical engineering
• Opto‑mechanical design and alignment experience

Working at Atomic Semi

We’re an early‑stage hardware startup with solid funding, world‑class advisors, and offices in Austin, TX and San Francisco, CA.

Compensation

Atomic Semi is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The annual salary range for this role is $115,000 – $180,000. Compensation is determined based on your qualifications and experience. Our total compensation package also includes generous equity in Atomic Semi.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off inclusive of Holidays and Sick Time
• Visa Sponsorship
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Weekly Learning & Development opportunities
• Commuter Benefits including Parking and Late Night Uber rides from the office
• Lunches daily, Dinners 3x per week, Stocked Office Kitchen with Snacks and Spindrifts

We are an equal‑opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or other legally protected statuses.

Export Control Analysis: This position involves access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Any job offer made will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls.

Compensation Range: $105K - $180K