Sr Principal Mechanical Design Engineer
$136,200 - $178,815 USD yearly
Originally posted 11 November 2026 by the employer.
About the role
As a Sr Principal Mechanical Design Engineer within the Product Solutions group, you will serve as a subject matter expert developing and advancing mechanical designs for pad probing products across semiconductor applications. You will lead mechanical design efforts from concept through prototyping, qualification, product launch, and sustaining support.
What you'll do
- Lead the design and refinement of novel tip construction and pad probing products for advanced packaging applications from requirements definition through sustaining support.
- Create and maintain complex 3D CAD models, layouts, detailed engineering drawings, specifications, and bills of materials.
- Apply GD&T, tolerance analysis, design for manufacturability, and mechanical assembly principles, performing tolerance studies, fit and function assessments, and finite element analysis.
- Define product performance requirements, engineering test plans, and validation strategies, supporting prototype development and laboratory testing.
- Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for complex product and field issues using failure-analysis methodologies such as DOE, 8D, FMEA, and SPC.
- Provide technical leadership, engineering judgment, and mentorship to cross-functional teams and less-experienced engineers.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline with at least 8 years of related experience, a Master's degree with 6 years, or a PhD with 3 years (or equivalent relevant experience).
- Deep experience in mechanical design and product development leading complex designs from concept through production.
- Advanced proficiency with 3D CAD, detailed engineering drawings, GD&T, tolerance analysis, mechanical assemblies, and design for manufacturability.
- Hands-on experience with laboratory testing, experimental design, product validation, and troubleshooting complex mechanical systems.
- Demonstrated knowledge of structured problem-solving and failure-analysis methods including DOE, 8D, FMEA, and SPC.
- Ability to work in a Class 1000 cleanroom environment as needed and travel up to 15% domestically and internationally.
Nice to have
- Experience with probe card technology, semiconductor test, advanced packaging, precision mechanical systems, or similar high-technology products.
- Experience with finite element analysis, process engineering, continuous improvement, or customer-facing technical support.
More semiconductor jobs: FormFactor jobs · Hardware design jobs · California jobs
First seen in our index 0 days ago, well below the 47-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
1150
|
Median days since first seen
47 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$148k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | FormFactor | All employers we track in this specialty (1150 roles · 109 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 9 | 1150 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 19 | 6589 · 158 employers |
| Median days since first seen | 43 d | 47 d (+4 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | n/a | $148k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 90 open roles · median 34 d
- KLA Corporation · 68 open roles · median 61 d
- NVIDIA · 61 open roles · median 74 d
- Teradyne · 59 open roles · median 53 d
- Applied Materials · 58 open roles · median 46 d
- ASML · 57 open roles · median 20 d
How we counted: 1150 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 109 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 11 Nov 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there, and is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Days are counted from when our index first saw each posting, not from the employer's original posting date.