Senior Mechanical Engineer - Thermophotovoltaic Hardware & Manufacturing

Antora; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job description

Antora Energy delivers affordable, reliable energy to industry, data centers, and the grid. Our thermal batteries turn low-cost electricity into always-on heat and power, without supply-constrained critical minerals or multi-year construction timelines.

We are growing our company with people who put team and mission first, value connection through laughter and joy, and work with humility and openness. We are committed to building a diverse, passionate, and creative team dedicated to a future powered by abundant, clean, low-cost energy.

Position Summary

You will own the design, sourcing, and manufacturing of the structural and thermal hardware interfacing with Antora's thermophotovoltaic (TPV) modules. Our Heat-to-Power team builds TPV heat engines that convert stored high-temperature radiant heat into electricity, and we need an engineer who can turn our working TPV assembly into a product we can build reliably at low cost. Your first project is designing, prototyping, and testing our next-generation TPV assembly: large extruded cold plates with removable TPV modules on direct bonded copper (DBC) substrates. After that, you will carry each new generation of TPV hardware into production by building our supplier base, driving DFM and cost-down, and improving performance and reliability. You will partner with our architecture lead, who owns system concept and analysis, and work closely with thermal, electrical, and test engineers at our R&D facility.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical design of TPV hardware from concept through production release.
• Design, prototype, and test our next-generation TPV assembly, including large extruded aluminum cold plates and a reversible attachment for DBC-based TPV modules.
• Frame thermal simulation requests for our thermal engineers (the question, inputs, boundary conditions, and the decision each result informs), and run first-order thermal models yourself to screen options before committing to hardware.
• Use AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, or similar) throughout the work, from supplier packages and cost models to analysis scripts and first-order thermal models.
• Produce release-ready detailed drawings with GD&T and tolerance stack-ups, and set the standard for drawing quality on TPV hardware.
• Build and manage our supplier base of machine shops, extruders, and fabricators: run RFQs, evaluate capability and cost, manage lead times, own first-article inspection and supplier quality issues.
• Drive DFM/DFA and cost-down: own the BOM and cost model, and reduce part count, assembly steps, and failure points such as coolant connections.
• Get hardware built through hands-on prototyping, assembly, and fixture design.
• Plan and run thermal, pressure, leak, and reliability tests with our test team to qualify designs.
• Carry each new generation of TPV hardware into production, including sourcing, qualification, and continuous improvement.
• Document designs, assembly procedures, and inspection criteria so hardware can be built and serviced repeatedly.

Key Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional mechanical engineering experience, including hardware you carried from prototype into production.
• Deep, practical knowledge of manufacturing processes such as CNC machining, extrusion, brazing, welding, and sheet metal, and of what drives cost, lead time, and yield.
• Extensive direct work with machine shops, fabricators, and contract manufacturers: RFQs, supplier selection, first-article inspection, and resolving quality issues.
• Expert at release-ready detailed drawings, including GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis.
• Proficient in 3D CAD and PDM/PLM release workflows.
• Hands-on builder: comfortable assembling, fixturing, and testing prototypes yourself.
• Experience designing liquid-cooled or thermally loaded hardware such as cold plates, heat exchangers, seals and fluid fittings, or thermal interface materials.
• Experience working with thermal analysts: framing the question, specifying inputs and boundary conditions, and critically interpreting simulation results before acting on them.
• Clear written and verbal communication, and experience leading design reviews across mechanical, thermal, electrical, and test disciplines.
• Fluent with Claude, ChatGPT, or similar AI tools in day-to-day engineering work, such as drafting RFQs and specifications, comparing supplier quotes, checking tolerance stacks, writing analysis scripts, and setting up first-order thermal models.
• BS, MS or Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• Ability to work onsite.

Additional Qualifications Desired

• Power electronics or semiconductor module packaging: DBC or AMB substrates, baseplates, direct-cooled modules, EV traction inverters, or similar.
• Vacuum or controlled-atmosphere hardware.
• Reliability and qualification testing: thermal cycling, pressure and leak testing, failure analysis.
• Structural FEA for design checks such as clamping, flatness, and thermal stress.
• Cost-down and production ramp experience at a startup or scaling manufacturer.
• Background in photovoltaics, energy conversion, or other energy hardware.

Work Location: Onsite - Sunnyvale, CA

Salary Range: $115,000 USD - $210,000 USD

Salary Basis: Annual

Please note that the salary range listed above reflects Antora Energy's estimated pay for this position. The actual salary offered will be within the posted range and determined based on several factors including but not limited to a candidate's experiences, credentials and expertise, as they pertain to the position's requirements.

In addition to a competitive base salary, Antora Energy’s Total Rewards program includes equity compensation in the form of stock options, a premium health benefits package with life and disability insurance, a 401K plan with employer contributions, flexible spending accounts, and an industry leading paid-time-off policy that features flexible and inclusive holiday observance, as well as paid volunteer time off.

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When it comes to stopping climate change, we need everyone. We believe that having a diversity of backgrounds and experiences strengthens all of us, and we strive to create an environment where every one of us is empowered to create meaningful change.