Principal Mechanical Engineer - Product Development

FormFactor, Inc.; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 94,100 - 123,480; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability coverage

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Paid time off

Quarterly profit-sharing bonuses

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

FormFactor, Inc. in Boulder, Colorado, seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer, Product Development, to lead design of complex mechanical and electro-mechanical components on site. The role emphasizes SolidWorks, design reviews, and collaboration with customers to shape requirements and solutions.

The candidate will document designs, support ECO processes, and drive product quality while interacting with manufacturing and engineering teams. Occasional travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s; or PhD without experience.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and document mechanical and electro-mechanical parts, assemblies, and subsystems using SolidWorks.
• Evaluate trade-offs among performance, cost, manufacturability, reliability, and customer requirements.
• Perform technical analysis, tolerance assessment, prototype evaluation, and troubleshooting to improve manufacturability, cost, and quality.
• Participate in customer-facing technical discussions to understand requirements and support analysis and product improvement.
• Create and maintain engineering documentation (drawings, BOMs, specs, test plans, ECOs) per company processes.

Skills

Mechanical design

Thermodynamics

Heat transfer

Tolerance analysis

Materials properties

Manufacturing processes

Modeling

Scientific instrumentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree in engineering

PhD in engineering (with/without experience)

Job description

Principal Mechanical Engineer, Product Development

FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM) is a leading provider of test and measurement technologies across the semiconductor product life cycle. We support semiconductor companies with reliable, high‑performance equipment and services that accelerate device performance and yield.

Job Overview

Location: Boulder, Colorado. This role is primarily on‑site with occasional travel for customer visits, conferences, or meetings.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and document complex mechanical and electro‑mechanical parts, assemblies, and subsystems using advanced proficiency in SolidWorks.
• Exercise engineering judgment to evaluate trade‑offs among performance, cost, manufacturability, reliability, and customer requirements for design solutions.
• Perform technical and root‑cause analysis, modeling, tolerance assessment, design verification, prototype evaluation, and troubleshooting to enhance manufacturability, cost, quality, and customer experience.
• Participate in customer‑facing technical discussions to understand requirements, explain design approaches, evaluate feasibility, and support analysis, ideation, and product improvement activities.
• Create and maintain complete and accurate engineering documentation (drawings, bills of materials, specifications, test plans, analysis summaries, engineering change documentation) in accordance with company processes to support design quality and lifecycle traceability.
• Occasionally travel may be required for customer visits, conferences, or meetings.

Technical Skills

• Mechanical design, thermodynamics, heat transfer, tolerance analysis
• Materials properties and manufacturing processes
• Modeling, analysis, and scientific instrumentation

Professional Skills

• Strong communication skills across technical and non‑technical audiences
• Attention to detail and a collaborative approach to problem solving
• Data‑driven decision making and effective prioritization
• Experience supporting design reviews, engineering change processes, prototype builds, verification testing, and transition of designs into manufacturing

Additional Competencies

• Collaboration, Communication, Cryogenic Engineering, Detail‑Oriented
• Engineering Change Order (ECO), Heat Transfers, Manufacturing Processes, Materials Properties, Mechanical Design
• Scientific Instruments, Semiconductor Industry, System Modeling, Technical Problem‑Solving
• Thermodynamics, Tolerance Analysis, Validation Testing

Education & Experience

Minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD without experience; or equivalent work experience.

Compensation

Required Pay Range: $94,100.00 – $123,480.00 per year for Boulder, Colorado, depending on experience, skills, and background. Pay may vary in other locations.

Benefits

We offer a full benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, a 401(k) with company match, employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), paid time off, quarterly profit‑sharing bonuses, and flexible spending or savings accounts.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

FormFactor is an equal opportunity employer. FormFactor complies with all national, state, and local laws that seek to promote equal opportunities for any applicant or employee without regard to age, race, color, gender, gender identity/expression, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, military service, or any other legally protected characteristics. These protections apply to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, training, promotions, and compensation.

Remote Eligibility

For roles designated as remote‑eligible, employees cannot be located in the following states: AL, AK, AR, DE, GA, HI, IL, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MS, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, ND, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, WV, WI, WY.

Mission & Values

Our mission is to enable customers to revolutionize semiconductors with advanced packaging that brings tomorrow’s electronics to life. Our core values are Focus on the Customer, Ownership & Accountability, Respectfully & Effectively Communicate, and Motivate & Develop People.