Lead Mechanical Engineer

Who You Are

Sila’s Equipment Engineering team in Alameda is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer to define and build the next-generation reactor platforms that scale our breakthrough energy chemistry into mass production. In this role, you will bridge fundamental chemical R&D and industrial-scale manufacturing by inventing, modeling, and scaling complex fluid, thermal, and mechanical systems. 

As Sila expands its core hardware capabilities, we are looking for a Lead Engineer who thrives at the intersection of high-level architecture and deep, hands-on mechanical execution. You bring a strong bias for action and prefer owning detailed CAD design, analytical calculations, and lab-scale validation directly. Whether your background is in high-stakes aerospace propulsion, consumer hardware innovation, or advanced process equipment, you bring a first-principles mindset to radical system simplification, driving internal technical mastery from initial concept, to design-for-manufacturing, through factory commissioning.

Responsibilities and Duties  

• Drive In-House Hardware Architecture: Personally own the mechanical design, modeling, and iteration of next-generation manufacturing reactors—translating novel chemical R&D into robust, production-ready hardware.
• Perform First-Principles Analysis & Simulation: Execute calculations, thermal modeling, and structural FEA/CFD to validate extreme-environment reactor performance and ground architectural decisions before building.
• Radically Simplify Complex Systems: Challenge legacy specifications and unnecessary system complexity to invent leaner, safer, and higher-throughput reactor architectures.   
• Develop Detailed Engineering Packages: Author complete engineering packages - including 3D CAD layouts, core IP drawings, equipment datasheets, P&IDs, and fabrication packages - applying practical Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles to optimize supplier capability, yield, and cost. 
• Lead Hands-On Prototyping & Field Integration: Build lab/pilot-scale test rigs, validate design concepts through physical testing, and direct external fabricators through final tool build, factory acceptance testing (FAT), and site commissioning.
• Embed Safety & High-Temperature Integrity: Integrate safety-by-design principles from day one, leading HAZOP and Process Safety Management (PSM) evaluations for pressurized and high-temperature hardware.
• Technical Mentorship: Mentor and coach junior engineering staff, fostering technical growth and maintaining high standards for design documentation, engineering rigor, and safety best practices

Knowledge and Skill Requirements 

• Education & Experience: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent practical experience, paired with 8+ years (or an equivalent accelerated track record) in mechanical design engineering, thermal/fluid hardware, or complex system development.
• Direct Technical Ownership & Culture: Demonstrated history of personally driving hardware through the full lifecycle—from first-principles calculations and CAD through prototype build/test and field deployment—with a preference for keeping core IP, modeling, and detailed design in-house.
• CAD, DFM & Engineering Packages: Advanced proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks, NX, or equivalent), deep knowledge of DFM/DFA and fabrication techniques (machining, high-temp alloy welding, pressure vessels), and experience generating fabrication drawing packages (GD&T, P&IDs, datasheets).
• Engineering Fundamentals & Simulation: Strong foundational expertise in heat transfer, fluid flow, and structural mechanics, combined with practical experience using FEA/CFD simulation tools (e.g. ANSYS, Solidworks) alongside back-of-the-envelope modeling to guide design trade-offs.
• Testing, Standards & Safety: Hands-on experience assembling test stands, instrumenting prototype hardware, and conducting validation testing, with a working knowledge of Process Safety Management (PSM), HAZOP reviews, and applicable industrial codes (ASME, NFPA).

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes
• Move items up to 50 lbs with the assistance of lift equipment and carts
• Move long distances (such as from building to building) and be stationary for extended periods of time
• Reach low shelves or items on the floor
• Climb stairs or over containment walls
• Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location
• Travel up to 15%

The starting base pay for this role is between $172,000 and $240,000 at the time of posting and commensurate with experience. The actual base pay depends on many factors, such as education, experience, and skills. Base pay is only one part of Sila’s competitive Total Rewards package that can include benefits, perks, equity.  The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. #
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