{"id":4110424,"url":"https://alion.io/job/formfactor-sr-principal-mechanical-design-engineer","title":"Sr Principal Mechanical Design Engineer","company":{"id":4792,"name":"FormFactor","domain":"formfactor.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/formfactor","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":82,"open_postings":14,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.714,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":51,"computed_at":"2026-11-11T05:49:22Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"remote","remote_scope":"stated_countries","remote_scope_basis":"posting_text","remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"inferred","locations":["United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":["US"],"hiring_countries_total":1,"salary":{"min":136200,"max":178815,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":178815},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"FMEA","optional":false},{"name":"GD&T","optional":false},{"name":"Statistical Process Control","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-11T23:17:49Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-11","last_verified_at":"2026-11-11T23:17:49Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":0,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":0},"description":"Forming Our Future together\nFormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM), is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full semiconductor product 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.\nRooted in our core values - Focus on the Customer, Ownership & Accountability, Respectfully & Effectively Communicate, and Motivate & Develop People - we foster an environment where diverse perspectives are not only welcomed but celebrated. Everyone can make an impact here. Whether it's improving products, supporting customers, or positively influencing peers and the community, the contributions of our people matter.\nShift:\nThe regular hours for this position are day shift.Job Description:\nAs a Sr Principal Mechanical Design Engineer within the Product Solutions group, you will serve as a subject matter expert responsible for developing and advancing mechanical designs as we expand our newest pad probing product portfolio across a wide range of customers and challenging semiconductor applications.\nWorking closely with product development, manufacturing, applications, quality, and customer-facing teams, you will lead complex mechanical design efforts from requirements definition and concept development through prototyping, qualification, product launch, and sustaining support. You will apply deep mechanical engineering expertise, structured problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making to develop solutions that balance product performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and customer requirements.\nKey Responsibilities:\nMechanical Design & Product Development\nLead the design and refinement of novel tip construction and pad probing products for advanced packaging applications, from requirements definition and concept development through prototyping, qualification, scaling, and sustaining support.\nServe as a mechanical design subject matter expert, providing technical direction on complex product design, performance, reliability, and manufacturability challenges.\nDevelop innovative mechanical solutions for complex or ambiguous applications where established design approaches may not fully address requirements.\nCreate and maintain complex 3D CAD models, layouts, detailed engineering drawings, specifications, and bills of materials for manufacturable product designs.\nApply GD&T, tolerance analysis, design for manufacturability, and mechanical assembly principles to develop robust and repeatable designs.\nPerform engineering analysis, including tolerance studies, fit and function assessments, design reviews, and finite element analysis as appropriate. \nProduct Validation & Qualification\nDefine product performance requirements, engineering test plans, and validation strategies to demonstrate readiness for customer applications.\nSupport prototype development, laboratory testing, product qualification, manufacturing scale-up, and launch readiness.\nAnalyze experimental and product performance data to validate designs, identify risks, and guide engineering decisions.\nDrive design reviews and technical assessments to evaluate design trade-offs and ensure performance, quality, cost, and manufacturability requirements are met.\nCustomer & Field Support\nTranslate customer needs, application challenges, and business requirements into actionable product improvements and new technical capabilities.\nPartner with applications and customer-facing teams to optimize designs for real-world customer applications.\nProvide technical escalation support for complex field and customer issues, drawing on hands-on engineering expertise and structured problem-solving.\nAggregate customer feedback, field performance, and technical learnings to recommend product enhancements and influence future design direction.\nTroubleshooting & Continuous Improvement\nLead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for complex product and field issues, developing prototypes and design modifications to validate corrective solutions.\nApply structured problem-solving and failure-analysis methodologies, such as DOE, 8D, FMEA, and SPC, to identify and resolve technical issues.\nUse qualification results, manufacturing data, and field performance to identify opportunities for improved product quality, reliability, and manufacturability.\nIdentify and implement improvements to engineering methods, design practices, tools, and processes that increase development efficiency and technical capability.\nCross-Functional & Technical Leadership\nCollaborate with product development, manufacturing, applications, quality, and customer teams throughout the product lifecycle.\nProvide technical leadership and engineering judgment on complex mechanical design decisions, risks, and trade-offs.\nInfluence cross-functional technical decisions by communicating engineering findings, recommendations, and design rationale to key stakeholders.\nMentor and provide technical guidance to less-experienced engineers, sharing best practices and strengthening mechanical design capabilities across the team.\nPreferred Qualifications & Experience:\nBachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.\nSignificant experience in mechanical design and product development, with demonstrated ability to independently lead complex designs from concept through prototyping, qualification, production, and sustaining support.\nAdvanced proficiency with 3D CAD, engineering drawings, GD&T, tolerance analysis, mechanical assemblies, and design for manufacturability.\nHands-on experience with laboratory testing, experimental design, product validation, and troubleshooting complex mechanical systems.\nStrong knowledge of structured problem-solving, statistical analysis, and failure-analysis methods such as DOE, 8D, FMEA, and SPC.\nStrong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use engineering and performance data to identify root causes and drive design improvements.\nProven ability to collaborate across product development, manufacturing, quality, applications, and customer-facing teams while providing technical leadership and influencing engineering decisions.\nExperience with probe card technology, semiconductor test, advanced packaging, precision mechanical systems, or similar high-technology products.\nExperience with finite element analysis, process engineering, continuous improvement, or customer-facing technical support is a plus.\nAbility to work in a Class 1000 cleanroom environment as needed and travel up to 15% domestically and internationally.\nSkills:\nCustomer Escalation, Customer Messaging, Failure Analysis, Mechanical Design, Mechanical Design Drafting, Mechanical Engineering, Probe Cards, Testing Protocols, Wafer ProbingEducation & Experience:\nMinimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 3 years experience; or equivalent experience | RequiredPay Range:\n$136,200.00 - $178,815.00Pay Range Explained:\nThis role in Livermore, California pays between $136,200.00 and $178,815.00 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.Equal Employment Opportunity Statement\nFormFactor is an equal opportunity employer. FormFactor complies with all national, state, and local laws that seek to promote equal opportunities for any applicant or employee without regard to age, race, color, gender, gender identity/expression, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, military service, or any other legally protected characteristics. These protections apply to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, promotions, and compensation.\nFor roles that are designated as remote-eligible, employees cannot be located in: AL, AK, AR, DE, GA, HI, IL, IA, LA, ME, MD, MS, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, ND, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, WV, WI, WY. This list is continuously evolving and being updated, please check back with us if the state you live in is on the exclusion list. 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