Senior Mechanical Engineer

Elevated Materials; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 224,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401K with 4.5% match

12 weeks parental leave

Flexible vacation

Company cell phone

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Elevated Materials, a Bay Area-based innovator in thin-film lithium technology, seeks a Senior Mechanical Engineer (level V) with 10+ years in designing and scaling PVD evaporation systems for battery manufacturing.

You will integrate plasma processes, RF/DC power delivery, and vacuum hardware into roll-to-roll production, collaborating with process, controls, and manufacturing teams to deliver scalable, high-up-time equipment and robust tool integration.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in PVD sputtering and thermal evaporation equipment development.
• 10+ years of experience in 3D CAD design using Creo ProE, NX or SolidWorks.
• Experience in roll-to-roll PVD system design.
• Strong knowledge of dimensioning and tolerancing principles.
• Experience designing and developing thin-film deposition equipment for battery, semiconductor, or solar applications.

Responsibilities

• Design, specify, and improve plasma sources for PVD deposition and surface treatments of web-based substrates for R2R vacuum systems.
• Design, specify and improve evaporation sources for high temperature processing.
• Support mechanical and electrical integration into roll-to-roll vacuum systems.
• Work with suppliers on cathodes, power supplies and vacuum components.
• Support new tool builds, installations, FAT/SAT, and commissioning.

Skills

PVD sputtering

Thermal evaporation

3D CAD design

Vacuum system design

Roll-to-roll design

Independent work

Education

Bachelors/Masters in Mechanical Eng

Electrical Eng

Physics

Tools

Creo/ProE

NX

SolidWorks

CAE modeling

Flow/thermal analysis

Job description

Elevated Materials is at the forefront of lithium battery technology, revolutionizing energy storage by enabling dramatically better battery performance. Elevated Materials’ ultra-thin lithium films increase energy density by 30-70%, extend battery life up to 3x, and enable significantly faster charging times. This technology is used for all lithium-ion battery applications, including electric vehicles, aviation, consumer electronics, and grid storage.

Currently in the commercialization stage with R&D and manufacturing in the Bay Area and Germany, Elevated Materials is poised to make a significant impact in the global battery industry.

As an independent entity spun out of Applied Materials and co-owned with TPG, Elevated Materials’ mission is to accelerate the clean energy revolution, driving universal adoption and a more sustainable future.

About The Role

We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer (internally level V) with 10+ years of experience in designing, integrating, and supporting evaporation, sputtering, and treatment modules within vacuum chamber systems, with a strong emphasis on plasma-based processes.

In this highly hands-on role, you will partner closely with process engineers to develop and scale advanced thin-film materials for next-generation battery manufacturing. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in RF/DC power delivery, vacuum systems, sputtering cathodes, thermal systems, and roll-to-roll system integration in production environments.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

PVD Equipment & Hardware Design

• Design, specify, and improve plasma sources for PVD deposition and surface treatments of web-based substrates for R2R vacuum systems.
• Design, specify and improve evaporation sources for high temperature processing
• Support mechanical and electrical integration into roll-to-roll vacuum systems.
• Working closely with the suppliers in development of cathodes and power supplies
• Support new tool builds, installations, FAT/SAT, and commissioning.
• Work closely with external vendors on:
• Hardware specifications and design reviews
• Custom cathodes, power supplies and vacuum components
• Tool upgrades and retrofits
• Support scale-up from R&D tools to pilot and high-volume manufacturing platforms.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Collaborate with:

• Process engineering on hardware optimization
• Controls/software teams on user interface, interlocks and safety
• Manufacturing and operations teams for scaling to production
• Provide hardware input during process transfer and yield improvement initiatives.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
• 10+ years of experience in PVD sputtering and thermal evaporation equipment development, including related vacuum and plasma source hardware integration.
• 10+ years of experience 3D CAD design using Creo ProE, NX or SolidWorks.
• Strong knowledge of dimensioning and tolerancing principles.

Required Qualifications

• Experience designing and developing thin-film deposition equipment for battery, semiconductor, or solar applications.
• Fluency in 3D CAD design environments such as Creo/ProE, NX, or SolidWorks.
• Strong hands-on experience with PVD sources and vacuum system design.
• Ability to work independently on complex hardware systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with CAE modeling for flow and thermal module design.
• Proven experience in roll-to-roll PVD system design.
• Extensive experience operating in high-up time manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with phased product development methodologies.
• Strong understanding of suppliers for vacuum chambers, power supplies, and supporting components.

The base salary range for this position is $163,000.00 - $224,000.00 per year, which represents the low and high end of the salary range for this exempt position. The exact salary offered will depend on experience. The total rewards package will also include company equity and an annual discretionary bonus.

• Insurance: Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.
• Tax Savings Programs: FSA, HSA, Dependent Care FSA, Commuter Benefits.
• Retirement Savings: Generous 401K plan with 4.5% match and immediate vesting.
• Additional Benefits: Flexible Vacation policy, paid holidays, 12-weeks paid parental leave.
• Additional Perks: Company cell phone, employee resource support, and more.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Elevated Materials is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Elevated Materials uses E-Verify to ensure employment eligibility. We welcome all qualified candidates to apply.