Senior Mechanical Engineer - Vacuum Systems

Johnson Controls; Burlington (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation packages

Bonus plan

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

Johnson Controls in Burlington, MA, is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer, Vacuum Systems, to bring lab concepts into mass production. You will own subsystem designs, perform thermal analyses, and drive reliability and safety in high-vacuum environments.

This onsite role requires strong collaboration and problem-solving in a fast-paced setting. The position emphasizes design ownership, rapid prototyping, and supplier coordination, with relocation support and a bonus plan.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and 5+ years industry experience.
• Experience designing vacuum chambers and components for high-vacuum or ultra-high-vacuum environments, including material selection, weld design, and outgassing considerations.
• Proficiency in thermal analysis of vacuum systems, including radiative heat transfer, thermal gradients, and bakeout planning.
• Ability to perform conductance calculations and pumpdown modeling to optimize system performance.
• Experience applying FEA to evaluate structural loads, thermal stresses, and deformation under vacuum.
• Preferred Familiar with metal additive manufacturing, robotics, or industrial automation.
• Experience with rapid prototyping: 3D printing, mill, lathe, laser cutting, CNC, hand tools

Responsibilities

• Component design within the machines in Stack Forging manufacturing system, including automated equipment for material preparation, cutting, inspection, bonding, and assembly
• Run design processes with requirements, specifications, concept generation, concept down-selection, and design reviews
• Document and communicate design process and decisions
• Drive improvement of overall equipment efficiency, manufacturing tolerance, process stability, process monitoring, machine reliability, and automation
• Refine and revisit machine requirements with cross-functional teams from product, process, applications, and operations.
• Proof-of-concept calculations and benchtop testing to inform design decisions
• System and sub-system level design and analysis; utilizing parametric modeling to evaluate trade-offs
• Own & update subsystem designs, BOM, specifications, CAD models, and drawings
• Select and manage external vendors for components and subsystems
• Statistical analysis for assembly tolerance stack up and perform root-cause analyses

Skills

Machine design

Cross-functional collaboration

Root-cause analysis

Critical thinking

Reliability and safety

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

FEA

CAD

3D printing

CNC

Job description

About Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls, a global leader in thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency, and decarbonization, helps customers use energy more productively, reduce carbon emissions, and operate with the precision and resilience required in rapidly expanding industries such as data centers, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, and higher education.

For more than 140 years, Johnson Controls has delivered performance where it really matters. Backed by advanced technology, lifecycle services and an industry-leading field organization, we elevate customer performance, turn goals into real-world results and help move society forward.

Visit johnsoncontrols.com for more information and follow @Johnsoncontrols on social platforms.

What you will do

Thermal constraints limit AI infrastructure, semiconductor equipment, power electronics, and defense systems.

JCI removes those constraints. Enabled by the Stack Forging™ process, JCI produces high-performance thermal components and cooling loop solutions — purpose-built for direct integration into AI, HPC, and mission-critical systems. JCI has built the industry's leading thermal management platform for the applications that demand it most.

As a Builder on the Stack Forging Thermal Solutions team at Johnson Controls, you'll join a team of sleeve-rollers who set a high bar for themselves and their co-workers.

We foster a collaborative culture with no silos, where everyone is encouraged to think out loud.

If you are passionate about your craft and don't give up until you've found a way, you will make an ideal Builder!

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, Vacuum Systems, you will work on engineering efforts to bring products from the lab into mass production.

Your primary objective will be commissioning, and improving the next generation of machines used in the Stack Forging process.

Who You Are

You're a skilled Mechanical Engineer with expertise in machine design and a deep understanding of reliability and safety.

You have experience developing complex machines from concept to execution, solving tough engineering challenges along the way.

You take full ownership of your projects, driving them forward independently while maintaining a strong sense of urgency.

You know when to pivot, prioritize, and adapt to shifting demands to keep progress on track.

This role requires a high degree of technical ownership, cross-functional collaboration, critical thinking for root cause analysis, and an ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

This position generally requires a commitment of 4 days onsite per week.

This position is located in Burlington, MA.

Candidates must be commuting distance to the office, or able to relocate.

Various relocation packages are available.

Only US Citizens and/or Permanent Residents of the United States will be considered, since sponsorship is not available for this position.

How you will do it

• Component design within the machines in Stack Forging manufacturing system, including automated equipment for material preparation, cutting, inspection, bonding, and assembly
• Run design processes with requirements, specifications, concept generation, concept down-selection, and design reviews
• Document and communicate design process and decisions
• Drive improvement of overall equipment efficiency, manufacturing tolerance, process stability, process monitoring, machine reliability, and automation
• Refine and revisit machine requirements with cross-functional teams from product, process, applications, and operations.
• Proof-of-concept calculations and benchtop testing to inform design decisions
• System and sub-system level design and analysis; utilizing parametric modeling to evaluate trade-offs
• Own & update subsystem designs, BOM, specifications, CAD models, and drawings
• Select and manage external vendors for components and subsystems
• Statistical analysis for assembly tolerance stack up and perform root-cause analyses

What you will need

• Required Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and 5+ years industry experience
• Demonstrated experience designing vacuum chambers and components for high-vacuum or ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) environments, including material selection, weld design, and outgassing considerations
• Proficiency in thermal analysis of vacuum systems, including radiative heat transfer, thermal gradients, and bakeout planning
• Ability to perform conductance calculations and pumpdown modeling to optimize system performance
• Experience applying FEA to evaluate structural loads, thermal stresses, and deformation under vacuum
• Preferred Familiar with metal additive manufacturing, robotics, or industrial automation
• Experience with rapid prototyping: 3D printing, mill, lathe, laser cutting, CNC, hand tools

Export Control Requirement: This position may require access to information, technology, technical data, software, or other items subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations. Any offer of employment for this position may be contingent upon the candidate's ability to obtain and maintain any required export authorization or eligibility to access controlled items.

SALARY RANGE

$120,000 - $190,000 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.)

This role offers a competitive Bonus plan that will take into account individual, group, and corporate performance.

This position includes a competitive benefits package.

The posted salary range reflects the target compensation for this role. However, we recognize that exceptional candidates may bring unique skills and experiences that exceed the typical profile. If you believe your background warrants consideration beyond the stated range, we encourage you to apply.

To support an efficient and fair hiring process, we may use technology assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to help identify and evaluate candidates. All hiring decisions are ultimately made by human reviewers.

For details, please visit the About Us tab on the Johnson Controls Careers site at https://jobs.johnsoncontrols.com/about-us

Johnson Controls International plc. is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any other characteristic protected by law.

To view more information about your equal opportunity and non-discrimination rights as a candidate, visit EEO is the Law. If you are an individual with a disability and you require an accommodation during the application process, please visit here.

Johnson Controls: Enhancing the Intelligence of Buildings

Your buildings have a purpose. They are places for people to live or work.

Facilities for learning or healing.

Venues for entertainment and shopping.

Sites for the specialized storage of tangible goods or mission-critical data.

Your buildings have a huge variety of functions; they are central to your mission.

This is where Johnson Controls comes in, helping drive the outcomes that matter most.

Through a full range of systems and digital solutions, we make your buildings smarter.

A smarter building is safer, more comfortable, more efficient, and, ultimately, more sustainable.

Most important, smarter buildings let you focus more intensely on your unique mission.

Better for your people. Better for your bottom line. Better for the planet.

At Johnson Controls, we’ve been making buildings smarter since 1885, and our capabilities, depth of innovation experience, and global reach have been growing ever since. Today, we offer the world’s largest portfolio of building products, technologies, software, and services; we put that portfolio to work to transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play.