Principal Mechanical Engineer

Fieldpiece Instruments; Orange (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary with annualBON

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vis

401(k) with company match

Generous paid time off and holidays

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and H

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Music program – music rooms in all US?

Recognition programs, team events

Job summary

Fieldpiece Instruments is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer for New Product Development in Orange, CA, with an anticipated move to Tustin in 2028. You will own the technical direction of new products from concept to production, leading cross-functional teams and making critical tradeoffs among performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule.

You will be hands-on with design, prototyping, testing, and validation while collaborating with product managers, suppliers, and contract

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive mechanical/electro-mechanical new product development experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading mechanical product development from concept through production.
• Strong mechanical fundamentals with structured problem-solving tools (KT, RCCA, FMEA, fault trees).
• Experience prioritizing requirements in ambiguous environments and making product-level tradeoffs.
• Hands-on experience with CAD, BOM management, and design documentation.
• Experience designing or overseeing test fixtures, validation systems, and verification plans.
• Ability to travel up to 10% domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead the technical development of new connected products from concept through production launch.
• Define product architecture, engineering requirements, and technical direction while balancing customer needs, performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule.
• Be a hands-on resource with design, prototyping, analysis, and troubleshooting of complex electromechanical systems.
• Lead and coordinate cross-functional engineering teams (internal and external), including mechanical, electrical, firmware, and test engineers.
• Develop validation strategies, oversee testing, and use data to drive continuous product improvements.
• Partner with Product Management, Project Management, suppliers, and contract manufacturers to deliver high-quality products on schedule.
• Drive engineering excellence through design reviews, FMEA, RCCA, and other structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Protect innovation through patent development and contribute to engineering best practices.

Skills

NPD leadership

Mechanical design

Prototyping

CAD

RCCA/FMEA

Cross-functional

Design reviews

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD

BOM management

Design documentation

Test fixtures design

Job description

Build the Next Generation of Connected Products!

Fieldpiece is a privately held, global leader in professional HVACR tools and test instruments. We're known for developing innovative products that technicians rely on every day and for investing in our people, our technology, and our future. Named one of the Best Places to Work in Southern California for four consecutive years, we're looking for talented people who want to make an impact while growing their careers.

As the Principal Mechanical Engineer for New Product Development, you'll own the technical direction for new products from concept through production. This is a highly visible role where you'll combine strategic technical leadership with hands-on engineering - designing, prototyping, testing, and solving complex technical challenges that solve real problems.

You'll lead a multidisciplinary engineering team spanning mechanical, electrical, firmware, and test engineering while collaborating with project managers, product managers, suppliers, contract manufacturers, and executive leadership to bring innovative products to market. You’ll make critical technical decisions that balance performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and schedule.

This position is in our Orange, CA office with an exciting move to Tustin, CA in 2028. This role follows a hybrid work schedule, with employees typically working onsite three days per week. Additional in-office days may be required from time to time for onboarding, training, team meetings, project collaboration, or other business needs.

What You’ll Do

• Own and lead the technical development of new connected products from concept through production launch.
• Define product architecture, engineering requirements, and technical direction while balancing customer needs, performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule.
• Be a hands-on resource with design, prototyping, analysis, and troubleshooting of complex electromechanical systems.
• Lead and coordinate cross-functional engineering teams (internal and external), including mechanical, electrical, firmware, and test engineers.
• Develop validation strategies, oversee testing, and use data to drive continuous product improvements.
• Partner with Product Management, Project Management, suppliers, and contract manufacturers to deliver high-quality products on schedule.
• Drive engineering excellence through design reviews, FMEA, RCCA, and other structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Protect innovation through patent development and contribute to engineering best practices.

What Makes This Opportunity Different

• Own the technology. You'll define the architecture and technical direction for an entire product category - not just designing individual components.
• Lead across disciplines. Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, firmware, software, application engineering, product management, quality, project management, and global manufacturing partners to develop fully integrated connected products.
• Influence executive decisions. As a member of the project core team, you'll regularly present technical progress and feasibility findings to executive leadership.
• Engineer alongside your customers. Ride along with HVACR technicians to understand real-world challenges and translate customer insights into innovative product solutions.
• Invent what's next. Lead feasibility testing for new-to-the-world product features and help shape the future of connected HVACR technology.
• See your work make a difference. The products you develop help technicians work faster, more accurately, and more efficiently every day.

In Your First Year, You'll Have

• Gained a deep understanding of the workflows and challenges of HVACR technicians through ride-alongs and collaboration with product marketing.
• Become the trusted technical leader for your product category – defining the architecture, technical direction and development plans and helping to shape the future product roadmap.
• Built strong partnerships across internal and external teams that all contribute to the successful launch of your products.

What You Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• 7+ years of progressive mechanical / electro-mechanical new product development experience
• Demonstrated experience leading mechanical product development from concept through production
• Strong mechanical fundamentals with the ability to independently solve complex problems using structured problem-solving and risk tools (KT, RCCA, FMEA, fault trees, etc.)
• Experience prioritizing requirements in ambiguous environments and making product-level tradeoffs
• Hands-on experience with CAD, BOM management, and design documentation
• Experience designing or overseeing test fixtures, validation systems, and verification plans
• Ability to travel up to 10% domestically and internationally (typically ~1 overseas trip/year)

Bonus Points If You Have

• HVAC, refrigeration, thermodynamics, heat transfer, etc. knowledge
• Tools, appliances, or electromechanical consumer products experience
• Ability to communicate in Mandarin

Why You'll Enjoy Working at Fieldpiece

• As a privately held company, we invest for the long term - in our people, our products, and our future. That means we can focus on innovation, continuous improvement, and building lasting careers rather than chasing short-term results.
• Work alongside talented, collaborative teammates who are passionate about innovation and solving real world problems.
• Make a meaningful impact in a company where your ideas are heard, your expertise is valued, and your contributions help shape the future of our products and business.

We believe great work starts with supporting our employees. That's why we offer a competitive total rewards package designed to promote your health, financial well-being, work-life balance, and professional growth.

• Competitive base salary with annual bonus opportunity
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting
• Generous paid time off and paid holidays
• Hire to Retire philosophy - Individual Development Plans for everyone and a commitment to support career development
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Health Savings Accounts (HSA), and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Music program – music rooms in all US offices with onsite guitar, piano, and voice lessons in California (classes can be streamed for other offices)
• Recognition programs, launch parties and team building events to share successes

Our Culture

At Fieldpiece, our values shape how we work, collaborate, and serve our customers every day. We believe in:

• Teamwork – We collaborate, support one another, and win as a team.
• Urgency – We move quickly, stay agile, and focus on what matters most.
• Respect – We value diverse perspectives and treat everyone with professionalism and integrity.
• Trust – We build strong relationships through accountability and transparency.
• Learning – We embrace curiosity, continuous improvement, and personal growth.
• No Ego – We leave titles and egos at the door, value the best ideas regardless of where they come from, and work together with humility, openness, and mutual respect.

At Fieldpiece, we're building more than innovative products - we're building careers. If you're looking for a place where your work matters and your contributions are recognized, we'd love to meet you.