Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Transforming the Future with Convergence of Simulation and Data Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Job Summary:

Our client in Palo Alto, CA is looking for a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer. This is a contract position.

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
- Electronic Test Automation.

This role will design mechanical test systems for vehicle electronics. You’ll work on developing mechanical solutions for design characterization, validation, and manufacturing.

• Design modular and reusable mechanical fixtures for testing vehicle electronics. This will start with manual bench-top setups and will evolve to fully automated systems for volume production.
• Work with cross-functional engineering groups to define mechanical test requirements for electronics and drive design decisions that help with the testability of ECUs.
• Design custom mechanical interfaces to connect to ECUs. This can range from pogo-pin connections to bed-of-nails style probing.
• Design rack-based test systems that reduce complexity and improve build time when replicating at scale.
• Create well documented diagrams, bills of materials, and standard operating procedures for test automation systems.
• Develop and release drawings, BOM and specifications.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external vendors during purchasing, station build, integration and final commissioning
  provide technical oversight to vendors for manufacturing of mechanical components and systems.
• Work with technicians to communicate requirements and ensure proper implementation.

• Experience with electronics testing/probing/harnessing technologies like mass interconnect solutions (VPC), specialty probes (Ingun), etc.
• 5+ years of relevant working experience designing modular mechanical hardware for test automation systems that range from R&D to high-volume manufacturing.
• Expert at using 3D CAD design software like Autodesk Inventor, Solid Works (most preferred), AutoCAD, ProE, etc.
• BS/MS or equivalent work experience in Mechanical Engineering or related fields.
• Ability to read electrical circuits and schematics, navigating PCB layouts and understand manufacturer’s product data sheets.
• Experience working in the automotive, semiconductor, or aerospace industries.
• Experience supporting deployment automated test equipment in manufacturing environments.
• Hands‑on hardware integration experience with automated test equipment.
• Salary range: 96k - 131k annual.

• Familiarity with vehicle communication protocols (CAN, CANFD, DoIP, Automotive Ethernet, LIN, etc.).
• Experience with automation instrumentation such as programmable power supplies, multiplexers, DMMs, signal analyzers, signal generators, multifunction devices (digital and analog).

• Envision the Future
• Communicate Honestly and Broadly
• Seek Technology and Business “First”
• Embrace Diversity and Take Risks

• Competitive Salary
• Comprehensive Benefit Package
• 401(k) with matching contributions
• Paid Time Off
• Employee Discounts
• Free training on all Altair products

Altair is a global technology company that provides software and cloud solutions in the area of data analytics, product development, and high-performance computing (HPC). Altair enables organizations in nearly every industry to compete more effectively in a connected world, while creating a more sustainable future. With more than 3,000 engineers, scientists, and creative thinkers in 25 countries, we help solve our customer’s toughest challenges and deliver unparalleled service, helping the innovators innovate, drive better decisions, and turn today’s problems into tomorrow’s opportunities.

Our vision is to transform customer decision making with data analytics, simulation, and high-performance computing.

For more than 30 years, we have been helping our customers integrate electronics and controls with mechanical design to expand product value, develop AI, simulation and data-driven digital twins to drive better decisions, and deliver advanced HPC and cloud solutions to support unlimited idea exploration. To learn more, please visit

Ready to go? #ONLY FORWARD

At our core we are explorers; adventures; pioneers. We are the brains behind some of the world’s most revolutionary innovations and are not only comfortable in new and unchartered waters, we dive headfirst. We are the original trailblazers that make the impossible possible, discovering new solutions to our customer’s toughest challenges.

Altair is an equal opportunity employer. Our backgrounds are diverse, and every member of our global team is critical to our success. Altair’s history demonstrates a belief that empowering each individual authentic voice reinforces a culture that thrives because of the uniqueness among our team.