Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Metal Structures

Mainspring Energy • Menlo Park, CA

9h • $132,000 - $156,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Mainspring is looking for Senior Mechanical Design Engineers with a focus on designing sheet metal components and assemblies. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and improving designs, overcoming DFM challenges, managing vendors, procuring and testing parts, and ensuring high-quality execution across all phases of product development. The ideal candidate will have a strong combination of technical expertise and the drive to solve complex problems in a collaborative environment.

Requirements

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering or a similar engineering field from an accredited institution. Experience and degree will determine the level, with the following minimum requirements: Senior: BS + 6 years or MS + 5 years
• Strong knowledge of sheet metal design, manufacturing processes, fastener selection, joint design, coatings, and assembly practices.
• Experience designing for durability under cyclic and thermal loading, with an awareness of vibration and acoustic challenges.
• Proven track record contributing to complex projects by helping define requirements, evaluating technical trade-offs, identifying risks, and supporting key decisions to meet functional and performance goals.
• Detail-oriented, with experience generating and reviewing drawings, bills of materials, tolerance stack-ups, work instructions, and test documentation.
• Proficient in SolidWorks and PDM (or similar CAD version control systems), with experience using FEA and CFD tools such as SolidWorks Flow Simulation or Ansys.
• Comfortable working hands-on with prototyping, testing, and failure analysis of structural components.
• Experience working cross functionally with manufacturing, supply chain, test and reliability teams.
• Self-motivated and capable of delivering high-quality design work in a fast-paced environment. Experience across the full product development cycle—from concept through manufacturing support—is valued.
• Enthusiastic about supporting and sharing knowledge with peers and junior engineers.
• Passion for creating innovative and cost-effective solutions to enable the large-scale deployment of zero-carbon energy technologies.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with forming analysis tools to catch DFM challenges early is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to brainstorming and technical review sessions to develop solutions that improve performance, cost-efficiency, and reliability of the Linear Generator.
• Take ownership of the design, analysis, testing, and optimization of structural systems, with attention to cost, safety, and reliability trade-offs.
• Apply sheet metal and joint design knowledge to support development of complex assemblies with efficient manufacturing processes.
• Perform FEA analyses by breaking down complex loading conditions into solvable problems to inform design improvements.
• Conduct tolerance stack-up analysis to support robust and manufacturable designs.
• Use CAD tools to create detailed drawings and 3D models, maintaining accuracy in design and documentation.
• Support procurement, fabrication, and testing of parts, contributing to hands-on validation and iterative development.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing, NPI, test, and reliability teams to ensure designs meet performance, manufacturability, and quality goals.
• Interface with vendors and suppliers to support quality manufacturing and timely delivery.
• Participate in DFMEA processes to help identify and mitigate potential failure modes.
• Manage tasks and priorities effectively, supporting delivery of key engineering milestones.

Benefits

• pre-IPO stock options
• benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level