Sr. Mechanical Engineer – Thermal Systems (Heaters) in Hayward, California at Therm-x of California

Therm-x designs and builds heaters, temperature sensors, and thermal assemblies for semiconductor and high-technology equipment. The Mechanical Engineer I/II designs components, sub-assemblies, and product variants for our brazed and welded heater assemblies, working with a senior engineer who owns the product: you turn requirements into 3D models and drawings, run the calculations, and watch the parts you designed get machined, brazed, and tested a few steps from your desk.

This is a learn-by-building role at a company that has made thermal hardware for over 30 years and is small enough that a good engineer's scope grows fast — a Level II engineer here owns product variants end to end and works directly with customers, suppliers, and our remote engineering team.

Therm-x engineering is investing in AI-assisted workflows for design documentation, analysis setup, and design review; you will use them from your first week.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop 3D models and assemblies (SolidWorks, Inventor, or Solid Edge) for heater and thermal-assembly components and product variants, and release drawing packages with GD&T, including pre-braze and pre-weld details.
• Run the engineering behind the design: power and heat-transfer calculations, tolerance stack-ups, and material selection for service at temperature; support thermal and structural FEA (COMSOL, ANSYS, or similar).
• Review customer requirements, drawings, and specifications; build BOMs and help estimate fabrication and assembly time and cost.
• Support prototype builds and testing with our machinists and technicians: fixtures and test setups, thermal uniformity, cycling, and dielectric tests, data review, and the next design iteration.
• Support production builds and transfers at Therm-x de Mexico, including regular trips to the facility to work directly with the production team.
• Design fixtures, tooling, and test hardware for prototype and production builds.
• Prepare design documentation and presentations for design reviews; own engineering changes on your parts.
• Use our AI-assisted engineering workflows — requirement reviews, drawing and documentation packages, analysis setup, design-review prep — and help make them better.
• Level II: own product variants and sub-assemblies from requirements to production release, coordinate directly with suppliers and our remote engineering team, and help onboard Level I engineers and interns.

Required Skills;

• Solid 3D CAD and drawing fundamentals with GD&T. Level II: complete, checkable drawing packages and tolerance stack-ups.
• Heat transfer, mechanics of materials, and materials fundamentals, and the appetite to learn how brazing, welding, and ceramics behave at temperature.
• Hands-on: comfortable in the shop, can build a test setup, and wants to see the parts you design get made.
• Clear written and spoken communication; organized enough to keep several small projects moving.
• Level II: has taken at least one design from concept through release and worked with suppliers or manufacturing on it.
• Onsite at our Hayward, CA facility — this role is learned on the shop floor.
• Able to travel to our Therm-x de Mexico facility at least once a quarter, typically for several days (valid passport or ability to obtain one).

Preferred Skills;

• Internship, project, or work experience with heaters, thermal systems, or high-temperature hardware.
• Exposure to FEA (COMSOL, ANSYS, or similar) and to reading basic electrical schematics.
• Exposure to brazing, welding, or ceramics; semiconductor equipment or vacuum hardware.
• Curiosity about AI-assisted engineering tools and some hands-on use of them in design or coursework.

Education and/or Experience:

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or closely related engineering discipline; MS a plus.
• Level I: 0–2 years of relevant experience, or strong internship and project work. Level II: 3+ years of mechanical design engineering.

Compensation: USD 90,000 – 150,000 base salary depending on level and experience, plus Therm-x benefits.

Work Location: Onsite, Hayward, CA.

Travel: Yes — international travel to Therm-x de Mexico at least quarterly.

Physical Demands: Regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands, reach, stoop, kneel, and crouch; occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.

Work Environment: Manufacturing facility with machining, brazing, and welding operations; high noise level in shop areas; safety glasses required on the floor.