Principal Mechanical Engineer, Vacuum & R&D Equipment

Commonwealth-Fusion-Systems-5; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health insurance

401(k) with matching

Generous PTO

Professional growth

Team-building

Job summary

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the end-to-end design, integration, and deployment of advanced vacuum and R&D equipment. You will drive system architecture, define requirements, and mentor a team of engineers while collaborating with scientists and other specialists in a fast-paced, safety-conscious environment.

The role emphasizes hands-on design-to-shop-floor execution, high-temperature structural analysis, and semiconductor-standard practices.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 15+ years of experience in design and implementation of complex R&D systems or semiconductor equipment.
• Proven capability in high-temperature structural design and vacuum thermal management.
• Deep understanding of vacuum architecture, material outgassing, seal integrity, and pump-down optimization.
• 3D modeling in SolidWorks and/or NX; experience with COMSOL or ANSYS for thermal/FEA analysis.
• Hands-on capability bridging design to shop floor, including machining, prototyping, and hardware troubleshooting.
• Experience selecting and qualifying global vendors for specialized components or sub-systems.
• Demonstrated leadership in direct and matrixed organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, integration, and validation of advanced R&D processing equipment.
• Establish system-level requirements and innovative concepts linking mechanical precision to product quality.
• Implement engineering workflows and best practices using semiconductor standards.
• Conduct design reviews emphasizing manufacturability (DFx) and best practices for mechanical design.
• Generate and maintain interfaces with cross-functional teams including scientists, vacuum specialists, and electrical engineers.
• Report milestones to stakeholders to ensure on-time and in-spec delivery.
• Coach engineering staff on technical delivery, procedural discipline, and professional development.
• Drive projects from concept through assembly, testing, and implementation.

Skills

System design

DFx reviews

Vendor management

Leadership

Mechanical design

Cross-functional

Education

Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

COMSOL

ANSYS

Job description

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the end-to-end design, integration, and deployment of advanced vacuum and R&D equipment. You will drive system architecture, define requirements, and mentor a team of engineers while collaborating with scientists and other specialists in a fast-paced, safety-conscious environment.

The role emphasizes hands-on design-to-shop-floor execution, high-temperature structural analysis, and semiconductor-standard practices.