Sr. Mechanical Engineer - Milpitas, CA, United States
$117,800 - $200,300 USD yearly
Originally posted 29 June 2026 by the employer.
About the role
As a Senior Mechanical Engineer in the RAPID division, you will develop precision mechanical and opto-mechanical inspection systems for semiconductor capital equipment. You will own the mechanical design process end-to-end, from requirements definition and feasibility studies through detailed design, prototyping, testing, and manufacturing release.
What you'll do
- Lead mechanical design and development of reticle inspection systems from requirements definition through manufacturing release. - Perform and guide engineering analyses including structural analysis, modal and vibration analysis, thermal analysis, and fluid flow modeling. - Design and optimize systems with a focus on vibration isolation and damping performance. - Drive concept development, engineering studies, and design trade-offs across performance, cost, and manufacturability. - Support design reviews (RDR, CDR, DDR), validation, system integration, and manufacturing handoff. - Create procedures for manufacturing, field installation, and service while supporting vendor engagement and issue resolution during builds.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (or related field) with 5+ years of experience, a Master's degree with 4+ years of experience, or a Doctorate with 2+ years of experience. - Technical expertise in at least two of the following areas: structural/FEA analysis, modal & vibration analysis, thermal engineering, or fluid flow / CFD. - Experience designing mechanical systems, creating procedures for manufacturing, field installation, and service. - Extensive experience with CAD assemblies and detailed drawings.
Nice to have
- Experience in semiconductor capital equipment or similar high-complexity hardware systems. - Familiarity with vibration damping and isolation techniques. - Familiarity with GD&T, tolerance stack-up, and precision engineering. - Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as machining, sheet metal, and welding. - Experience leading projects from concept through manufacturing release.
This role has been open 113 days — well above the 51-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
1003
|
Median days open
51 d
|
Median salary
$155k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | KLA Corporation | All employers we track in this specialty (1003 roles · 104 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 63 | 1003 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 209 | 6296 · 145 employers |
| Median days open | 47 d | 51 d (−4 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $155k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 72 open roles · median 34 d
- KLA Corporation (this employer) · 63 open roles · median 48 d
- Teradyne · 61 open roles · median 34 d
- NVIDIA · 53 open roles · median 72 d
- Applied Materials · 51 open roles · median 70 d
- AMD · 46 open roles · median 52 d
How we counted: 1003 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 104 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 22 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.