Senior Mechanical Engineer - Thermophotovoltaic Hardware & Manufacturing

The role

You will own the design, sourcing, and manufacturing of structural and thermal hardware interfacing with thermophotovoltaic modules. You will design, prototype, and test next-generation TPV assemblies and carry hardware into production by building a supplier base and driving DFM.

What you will do

• Own the mechanical design of TPV hardware from concept through production release.
• Design, prototype, and test next-generation TPV assembly.
• Frame thermal simulation requests and run first-order thermal models.
• Use AI tools throughout the work.
• Produce release-ready detailed drawings with GD&T and tolerance stack-ups.
• Build and manage a supplier base of machine shops, extruders, and fabricators.
• Drive DFM/DFA and cost-down by owning the BOM and cost model.
• Get hardware built through hands-on prototyping, assembly, and fixture design.
• Plan and run thermal, pressure, leak, and reliability tests.
• Document designs, assembly procedures, and inspection criteria.

Required qualifications

• 5+ years of professional mechanical engineering experience, including hardware you carried from prototype into production.
• Deep, practical knowledge of manufacturing processes such as CNC machining, extrusion, brazing, welding, and sheet metal.
• Extensive direct work with machine shops, fabricators, and contract manufacturers.
• Expert at release-ready detailed drawings, including GD&T and tolerance stack-up analysis.
• Proficient in 3D CAD and PDM/PLM release workflows.
• Hands-on builder: comfortable assembling, fixturing, and testing prototypes yourself.
• Experience designing liquid-cooled or thermally loaded hardware such as cold plates, heat exchangers, seals and fluid fittings, or thermal interface materials.
• Experience working with thermal analysts.
• Clear written and verbal communication, and experience leading design reviews.
• Fluent with Claude, ChatGPT, or similar AI tools in day-to-day engineering work.
• BS, MS or Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• Ability to work onsite.

Nice to have

• Power electronics or semiconductor module packaging: DBC or AMB substrates, baseplates, direct-cooled modules, EV traction inverters, or similar.
• Vacuum or controlled-atmosphere hardware.
• Reliability and qualification testing: thermal cycling, pressure and leak testing, failure analysis.
• Structural FEA for design checks such as clamping, flatness, and thermal stress.
• Cost-down and production ramp experience at a startup or scaling manufacturer.
• Background in photovoltaics, energy conversion, or other energy hardware.

Benefits

• Equity compensation in the form of stock options
• Premium health benefits package with life and disability insurance
• 401K plan with employer contributions
• Flexible spending accounts
• Industry leading paid-time-off policy featuring flexible and inclusive holiday observance
• Paid volunteer time off

About the company

Antora Energy delivers affordable, reliable energy to industry, data centers, and the grid. Their thermal batteries turn low-cost electricity into always-on heat and power.