Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

Forming Our Future together

FormFactor, 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.

Rooted 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.

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.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

FormFactor 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.

For roles that are designated as remote-eligible, employees cannot be located in: AL, AK, AR, DE, GA, HI, IL, IA, KY, 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. A role is remote-eligible only when it is listed as "Remote" in the job location.