Senior Mechanical Engineer

Planted; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Company holidays

Paid time off (PTO)

In‑office lunches

Job summary

Planted seeks a mechanical engineer to join the R&D team designing machines, robots, and structures for scalable deployment. Lead the design cycle from concept through first build within a cross-functional engineering group of SpaceX/Tesla heritage.

The role offers a salary range of $125,000–$165,000 plus stock and benefits, with target experience around 5+ years. You will work on system-level requirements and oversee hardware from testing to deployment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or similar
• Experience in industry in structural, mechanical analysis
• Mechanical system design experience
• Hands on aptitude – able to dive in and troubleshoot issues
• Idea generation and execution
• Desire to work in a startup environment

Responsibilities

• Ideate novel solutions to challenging problems - from the system level to individual part design
• Design and develop automated equipment and mechanical structure, both major changes and from scratch
• Own challenging design projects from product development and delivery through conception, design, and assembly
• Develop system-level requirements and inform product architecture
• Develop structural and mechanical analyses
• Oversee hardware through test and deployment
• Develop and track to project schedules

Skills

Mechanical design

Structural analysis

Hands-on

Prototype development

Systems thinking

Startup mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Job description

The world needs 3 TW of new solar capacity every year. The legacy approach of developing and building infrastructure is mathematically incapable of catching up.

Planted is the autonomous power deployment company. We transform power plants from bespoke construction projects into manufactured products. By integrating planning software, high-density arrays, energy storage, and field robots, we deliver more power where it's needed most.

The physics are solved; what remains is relentless execution. Led by repeat founders and an engineering core from SpaceX and Tesla, we are backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Piva Capital, Google, Gigascale Capital, Khosla Ventures, and RA Capital Management.

We’re scaling fast and looking for operators and engineers who want to own real pieces of the system. You don't need a traditional energy background; we care whether you can finish hard things. Come build with us.

About The Role

As an integral part of the R+D team you will design machines, robots, and structures. Lead the development design cycle from concept ideation through first build. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with a cross-functional engineering team with a highly talented group of engineers from varied backgrounds.

The salary range for this full-time position is $125,000 - $165,000 plus stock and benefits. Pay within the range is based on candidate experience, job-specific skills, education, and work location. The target experience for the position is 5+ years

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ideate novel solutions to challenging problems - from the system level to individual part design

• Design and develop automated equipment and mechanical structure, both major changes and from scratch

• Own challenging design projects from product development and delivery through conception, design, and assembly

• Develop system-level requirements and inform product architecture

• Develop structural and mechanical analyses

• Oversee hardware through test and deployment

• Develop and track to project schedules

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or similar

• Experience in industry in structural, mechanical analysis

• Mechanical system design experience

• Hands on aptitude – able to dive in and troubleshoot issues

• Idea generation and execution

• Desire to work in a startup environment

Philosophy On Qualifications And Compensation

Many people only apply for jobs if they believe they can perform every task in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and will consider equivalent combinations of knowledge, skills, education, and experience. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

Additionally, we believe compensation should reflect the value people bring and give them a real stake in what we're building. Our total compensation package includes a base salary, meaningful equity through stock options, and benefits including company holidays, paid time off (PTO), and in-office lunches. Individual pay may vary within the posted range and is determined by a number of factors including relevant experience, skills, and location.

How We Work

We are using sunlight, software, and robots to power the world. It is historic work, and it is hard work. If you want a paved, predictable path, this isn't for you. If you'd rather invent the path, this is the best job you'll ever have.

• Call it out. We put big robots in the field alongside our crews and partners. Anyone can stop any operation at any time. The same trust runs everywhere: a bug in the code, a flaw in the plan, a risk in the dirt, a design that no longer makes sense. Say it while it's small and cheap to fix, directly to the person who can fix it. Sometimes that person is you.

• Commit and complete. We work problems, not tasks. A confident guess is not a commitment; “I'll find out by Thursday” is. If a date slips, say it early and bring the new plan. Every decision has one owner: bring data, argue hard, push back in the room, then the owner calls it and we lock arms. Execution compounds.

• Convention isn't evidence. “Industry standard” is a red flag. Most conventions were answers to constraints that no longer exist. We respect physics and obey the law. Everything else is a choice, and we get to make it.

• Let machines do the work. We are system builders: AI and robots do repetitive work in the field and in the office. Every task a machine takes over is a person out of harm's way or off the critical path. Solve a problem once, then build the tool, write the spec, and commit the doc so nobody has to solve it again. Doing it by hand once is fine. Twice means we need a tool.

Planted is an equal opportunity employer committed to growing inclusively, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, medical condition, age, or veteran status. However you identify, or whatever background you bring with you, please apply. We look forward to hearing from you.