Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer

Location: Sunnyvale, California, United States

Department: Hardware

As a Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer, you will be a primary architect of Carbon’s hardware future. You won't just design parts; you will define the technical roadmap and foundational architectures for our next generation of additive manufacturing solutions. As a senior leader within a high-velocity hardware team, you will navigate extreme ambiguity to deliver elegant, high-reliability systems. You are expected to be a technical cornerstone, elevating the engineering bar across the organization and mentoring the next generation of staff-level talent

Note: This role is based in Sunnyvale, CA and you will be expected to be in-office four to five days per week, depending on project stage.

You will…

• Drive Hardware Architecture: Own the high-level mechanical architecture for new 3D printing platforms, ensuring modularity, serviceability, and industry-leading precision.
• Lead Cross-Functional Technical Delivery: Act as the technical bridge between Systems, Electrical, Software, and Materials Science to de-risk 0-to-1 products.
• Establish Engineering Standards: Define company-wide frameworks for validation, reliability testing, and DFM to ensure hardware excellence at global scale.
• Influence the Roadmap: Partner with Leadership and Product Management to translate product needs into a multi-year technical execution strategy.
• Navigate Technical Debt: Proactively identify and resolve architectural gaps in our technology to improve long-term product performance.
• Act as a Technical Gatekeeper: Serve as an influencer and decision maker in critical Design Reviews and Root Cause Analysis for high-stakes hardware events or failures.

You have…

• Industry Tenure and Experience: 12+ years of experience in mechanical or mechatronics product development, with a proven track record of shipping complex systems from "blank sheet" to mass production.
• Proven ability to scale: A history of successfully mentoring and leveling up Senior and Staff-level engineers across a hardware organization.
• Systems-level Expertise: Expert-level intuition in thermodynamics, structural dynamics, and precision motion control within high-tolerance environments.
• Manufacturing Insight: Extensive experience managing Tier 1 JDM/CM partners and directing global pilot and production builds.
• Executive and Cross-Functional Communication: The ability to distill complex technical trade-offs into clear, data-driven recommendations for leadership.
• Foundational Rigor: Expert-level application of GD&T (ASME Y14.5), DFMEA, and Statistical Process Control (SPC) to high-volume hardware
• Mentorship: An attitude of mentorship towards junior engineers across the organization.
• Expertise in performing engineering analysis of major systems that can include: detailed tolerance, safety, thermal, stress, fatigue, lifetime, manufacturability, failure modes, and cost.
• Experience in material selection in sheet metal, metal, plastic, and elastomers.

Bonus Experience…

• Interdisciplinary Engineering: Proficiency in software or firmware development for developing custom tools or automated test hardware.
• Domain Expertise: Direct experience in optics, fluidics, or UV-curable resin systems.
• Innovation Record: A portfolio of patents or proprietary innovations in the fields of robotics, automation, or additive manufacturing.

You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Carbon, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

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At Carbon, we look at the person holistically and carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining salary. The compensation bracket for this position is $209,600 - 314,400 (per year). In order to maintain equitable internal pay practices, we aim to hire new employees near the midpoint of $262,000 taking into account your experience, work location, certifications, and the unique skills you bring to the role. If you are not based in our Sunnyvale office, the range above will be adjusted for the geographical differential associated with your actual work location.

For more information on how we modify your pay based on your location, please refer to our geographic differentials chart. 

Carbon also offers to our eligible employees a comprehensive total rewards package that includes equity, benefits, and time off programs. For details on our total rewards package, visit https://www.carbon3d.com/about/life-at-carbon.