Director of Mechanical Engineering, Hardware Platform

Job description

Atomic Machines is ushering in a new era of micromanufacturing with its Matter Compiler™ technology platform. This platform enables new classes of micromachines to be designed and built by providing manufacturing processes and a materials library that are inaccessible to semiconductor manufacturing methods. It unlocks MEMS manufacturing not only for device classes that could never be produced by semiconductor methods, but also for entirely new categories. Furthermore, this digital platform is fully programmable in the way 3D printing is digital—but whereas 3D printing produces parts of a single material using a single process, the Matter Compiler™ technology platform is a multi-process, multi-material system: bits and raw materials go in, and complete, functional micromachines come out. The Atomic Machines team has also created an exciting first device—made possible only through the Matter Compiler™ technology platform—that we will be unveiling to the world soon. Our offices are in Emeryville and Santa Clara, California. ### About The Role: Atomic Machines is seeking a deeply technical and execution-oriented Director of Hardware Platform to lead the team responsible for developing the core hardware platform that enables our digital manufacturing Nodes and ultimately the Matter Compiler. Each Node implements a class of physical manufacturing process as a fully automated machine built on Atomic Machines’ modular hardware and software platform. In this role, you will report to the executive leader responsible for the broader Hardware / Nodes organization and will own the design, execution, and delivery of key hardware platform systems. You will lead a team of exceptional mechanical and hardware engineers through early prototypes, design iterations, experiments, verification, validation, and transfer toward commercial readiness. Your team will work closely with our Hybrid Fab, giving you a fast feedback loop between development, deployment, and manufacturing learning. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can operate with technical depth, drive clarity through ambiguity, and build a high-performing team. As Atomic Machines grows, you will also play an important role in hiring and developing bar-raising engineering talent while ensuring the team delivers rigorous, reliable, and scalable hardware systems. ### **What You’ll Do** #### **Hardware Platform and Node Architecture** - Own the hardware architecture for Atomic Machines’ platform and Node systems, including mechanisms, kinematics, structures, thermal control, sensing, actuation, fixturing, serviceability, and interfaces to software, controls, and manufacturing. - Lead the design and development of precision motion subsystems, including stages, gantries, rotary axes, Z / force axes, end-effectors, fixturing, and in-situ metrology. - Drive hardware requirements, error budgets, and subsystem specifications for precision, throughput, reliability, accuracy, repeatability, stiffness, settle time, drift, uptime, MTBF, and MTTR. - Guide architectural decisions and technical tradeoffs across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, vision, manufacturing, and supply chain domains. - Ensure platform and Node hardware is designed for scalability, calibration, alignment, serviceability, and manufacturing readiness. #### **Mechanical Engineering Technical Leadership** - Provide deep technical leadership in mechanical design for robotics, precision automation, and advanced manufacturing systems. - Establish and maintain high standards for design reviews, design documentation, interface control documents, GD&T, tolerance analysis, DFMEA / PFMEA, verification and validation plans, and engineering change control. - Drive disciplined engineering practices while maintaining speed, creativity, and first-principles problem solving. - Engage directly in technical problem solving as needed with a “do whatever it takes” mindset. - Partner with teams to debug complex hardware, factory, and system-level issues with urgency and rigor. - Build scalable calibration and compensation strategies into the hardware, including datums, fiducials, kinematic mounts, reference artifacts, automated calibration, and drift detection. #### **Prototype-to-Production Execution** - Lead hardware development from concept and early prototypes through design implementation, debug, verification, validation, qualification, manufacturing transfer, and production ramp. - Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to build the prototype-to-production pipeline for Node and platform hardware. - Drive DFM, DFA, DFS, supplier strategy, first-article inspection, incoming quality, build documentation, assembly fixtures, test fixtures, and stable production yields. - Establish reliability engineering practices, including lifetime testing, wear testing, thermal cycling, vibration testing, contamination control, FRACAS, root cause analysis, preventive maintenance design, and reliability growth metrics. - Ensure hardware systems are robust, manufacturable, serviceable, and ready for sustained operation in Atomic Machines’ Hybrid Fab and future production environments. #### **Cross-Functional Coordination and Planning** - Partner with leaders across software, controls, electrical engineering, vision, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, program management, and company leadership to define requirements, align priorities, and anticipate technical and resource risks. - Collaborate with leadership and program management to define clear objectives, milestones, timelines, dependencies, and success criteria. - Represent the Hardware Platform team in broader program and company-level planning discussions. - Ensure the team’s work is accurately planned, resourced, communicated, and tracked. - Drive clarity and alignment in ambiguous technical and organizational situations. #### **Team Leadership and Management** - Lead, develop, and scale a high-performing hardware engineering organization, including senior individual contributors, managers, and potentially directors. - Hire exceptional mechanical, hardware, opto-mechanical, test, and validation engineers to support Atomic Machines’ long-term strategy. - Cultivate a culture of high standards, technical rigor, accountability, collaboration, and truth-seeking. - Assign team members effectively across platform and cross-functional engineering efforts. - Provide technical guidance, coaching, mentorship, and career development for team members. - Manage performance clearly and directly while creating an environment where exceptional engineers can do their best work. - Align team priorities with company objectives and ensure the team works effectively within company processes. ### **What You’ll Need** - 15+ years of experience developing complex robotics, precision automation, advanced manufacturing systems, or dynamic mechanical precision systems. - 7+ years of experience managing engineering teams, including senior engineers; experience managing managers and / or directors is strongly preferred. - Deep technical expertise in precision mechanism design, robotics, motion systems, stiffness / compliance, vibration and dynamics, thermal drift, error budgeting, practical metrology, actuators, motors, and electromechanical systems. - Demonstrated ownership of hardware systems from early prototype through manufacturing ramp and sustained production or field operation. - Strong command of mechanical engineering fundamentals, detailed design, drawings, GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, DFM, DFA, DFS, and supplier collaboration. - Experience selecting and integrating sensors and actuators, including encoders, force / torque sensors, vision systems, capacitive or inductive sensors, pneumatics, motors, bearings, and related components. - Experience leading teams through the full product development lifecycle: requirements, architecture, design, implementation, debug, verification, validation, qualification, and transfer to manufacturing. - Demonstrated knowledge of rapid prototyping and scalable production manufacturing processes, including machining, sheet metal, injection molding, assembly, inspection, and test. - Experience building hardware test and validation frameworks, including DVP&R, fixture design, automated test where appropriate, and clear pass / fail criteria tied to requirements. - Strong reliability and failure analysis skills, including DFMEA, PFMEA, RCA, DOE, CAPA, wear, fatigue, contamination, and production debug. - Ability to engage productively in whiteboard brainstorming, drive clarity on ambiguous requirements, and influence alignment across multiple teams and technical disciplines. - Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with an ability to create clear documentation and communicate technical context at the right altitude. - High autonomy and ability to make meaningful progress in ambiguity. - Strong collaboration skills and the judgment to ask the right questions. - Creativity, inventiveness, and a first-principles approach to solving hard technical problems. - Cultural alignment with Atomic Machines’ values: disciplined thinking, high standards, accountability, truth-seeking teamwork, and a bias toward building. - Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent hands-on experience. ### **Preferred Qualifications** - Experience with sub-micron or micron-scale precision systems. - Experience with advanced manufacturing, semiconductor equipment, robotics, automation, industrial machinery, or high-performance hardware platforms. - Experience leading multidisciplinary hardware organizations across mechanical engineering, opto-mechanics, test, validation, and manufacturing transfer. - Experience building teams in a high-growth or early-stage technical environment. - Experience operating in a fast-paced hardware development environment where prototype iteration, factory deployment, and production learning happen in tight loops. The compensation for this position also includes equity and benefits. Salary Range $275,000—$320,000 USD