FormFactor

Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

FormFactor$110K — $145K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of mechanical design engineering experience; Bachelor's or Master's degree in related field preferred.
  • Strong proficiency with 3D CAD tools like SolidWorks and AutoCAD for modeling and drawing.
  • Knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and tolerance analysis.
  • Hands-on experience in lab or manufacturing environments, particularly with prototypes.
  • Clear communication skills enabling effective collaboration across technical teams.

Responsibilities

  • Create and release detailed mechanical designs for precision components and assemblies.
  • Build, inspect, and troubleshoot prototype hardware throughout development and validation phases.
  • Conduct root-cause analysis and support continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Utilize 3D CAD tools for creating models, drawings, and bills of materials for manufacturable designs.
  • Support cross-functional collaboration to resolve product and manufacturing issues.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Life insurance and disability coverage included.
  • 401(k) plan with company match to help grow retirement savings.
  • Eligibility for quarterly profit-sharing bonuses based on company performance.
  • Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses.
Full Job Description
Shift:
The regular hours for this position are day shift.

Job Description:

The Mechanical Design Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, validating and delivering innovative mechanical design solutions for highly complex products and systems that support FormFactor's semiconductor test and measurement products. This role combines hands-on engineering execution with cross-functional collaboration to deliver manufacturable, reliable, and scalable mechanical solutions for advanced technology platforms.

Key Responsibilities:
  • Create and release detailed mechanical designs for precision components, characterization fixtures, validation structures, and mechanical assemblies.
  • Build, inspect, assemble, and troubleshoot prototype hardware during development, validation, and product release phases.
  • Participate in root-cause analysis, failure investigations, inspection reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Use 3D CAD tools to create models, layouts, detailed drawings, and bills of materials for manufacturable designs.
  • Perform engineering analysis, including tolerance studies, fit checks, design reviews, and basic finite element analysis when needed.
  • Translate product, customer, process, and manufacturing requirements into robust mechanical design solutions.
  • Support probe card mechanical design and architecture development, through detailed design, prototype build, validation, and production release.
  • Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, process, and R&D teams to resolve product manufacturing issues and probe card issues in the field.
  • Evaluate design feasibility, manufacturability, reliability, cost, and scalability before release.
  • Maintain and improve mechanical design templates, documentation standards, drawing practices, and design workflows.
  • Translate analytical results into design improvements and actionable engineering recommendations.


Preferred Qualifications and Skills:
  • Strong proficiency with 3D CAD modeling, mechanical drawings, assemblies, and engineering documentation.
  • Working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance analysis, design for manufacturability, and mechanical assembly practices.
  • Ability to work hands-on in a lab, prototype build, inspection, or manufacturing environment.
  • Experience supporting design reviews, engineering validation, troubleshooting, and cross-functional problem solving.
  • Clear communication skills and the ability to coordinate technical work across engineering and manufacturing teams.
  • Knowledge of inspection methods, metrology, mechanical testing, and prototype validation.
  • Demonstrated ability to improve design processes, templates, standards, and documentation for repeatability and scalability.


Skills:
3D Cad Modeling, Adaptive Problem Solving, Autodesk AutoCAD, Data Analysis, Geometric Dimensioning And Tolerancing (GD&T), Mechanical Design, Precision Metrology, Problem Solving, Product Development, SolidWorks, SolidWorks PDM

Education & Experience:
Minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 3 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD without experience; or equivalent work | Required

Pay Range:
$110,700.00 - $145,320.00

Pay Range Explained:
This role in Livermore, California pays between $110,700.00 and $145,320.00 per year, depending on your experience, skills, and background. Pay may vary in other locations. We offer a full benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, a 401(k) with company match, employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), and paid time off. You'll also be eligible for quarterly profit-sharing bonuses and flexible spending or savings accounts.

About FormFactor

FormFactor, Inc. is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full IC life cycle ? from characterization, modeling, reliability, and design de-bug, to qualification and production test. Semiconductor companies rely upon FormFactor?s products and services to accelerate profitability by optimizing device performance and advancing yield knowledge. The Company serves customers through its network of facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America. FormFactor is headquartered in Livermore, California with operations worldwide.
Learn more about FormFactor
Size
2,293 employees
Market Cap
$1.7 billion
Industry
Net Income
$78.5 million
Founded
1995
5 Year Trend
+14.9%
Revenue
$693.6 million
NASDAQ

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