Staff Mechanical Design Engineer, Automation

Number of employees

420

South San Francisco, CA, United States

Posted on: 2022-04-26

Category: food

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Expired

Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Intermediate

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Plenty is a new kind of farm for a new kind of world. We’re on a mission to bring healthy food to the world while protecting the environment. Our pesticide-free, non-GMO leafy greens taste fresh-picked from the garden because they were. We grow and deliver locally, cutting transportation miles and reducing emissions. Plenty’s indoor farms mean fresh produce is always in season.

We are a team of growers, plant scientists, engineers, artists, foodies and plant romantics working to improve the lives of plants, people, and the planet. We currently operate in South San Francisco, CA, and Laramie, WY. Our new Compton, CA site set to open in 2021 will be the world’s first, high-capacity indoor vertical farm.

Plenty believes food justice is social justice. Equal access to healthy, nutritious food is fundamental to a quality life. We build farms in communities that need better access to food and jobs. Plenty provides living-wage, year-round jobs along with flavorful, nutrient-rich food to the communities we serve. We use automation and robotics so machines do the backbreaking labor while people perform new kinds of skilled agricultural, science and high-tech jobs.

Now is the time to help Plenty achieve its mission to feed the world healthy food in a sustainable way. We are a start-up with expanding career growth opportunities.

We are actively seeking those who embody our core values: find a way, down to earth, & grow together. These values guide how we work together as teammates, approach innovation and engage with customers. Does this sound like you? Join the mission as we improve human and planetary health by increasing access to craveable fruits and vegetables.

About Plenty

Plenty is on a mission to make fresh, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables more accessible to everyone.  Our cutting-edge indoor, vertical farms produce extraordinary yields using a fraction of the land and water outdoor farms need.  Nutrient-rich, mouth-watering and locally grown, our crops help people, communities and our planet to be healthier and more resilient.

The people and teams who make up Plenty are at the core of how we do this.  We are a collaborative and innovative bunch.  We are passionate about our contributions to Plenty, the communities around us and our planet, but never take ourselves too seriously.  We’re down to Earth, we grow together, and we always find a way.  Most importantly, we’re here to improve the lives of plants, people and our planet.  

About the role

Plenty is looking for a Staff Mechanical Design Engineer to join our Automation Mechanical Design team. This team is responsible for designing and implementing technology to reduce  cost. In this role, you will use your experience in equipment design to mentor a group of exceptional engineers, help create positive design outcomes, and work to establish standards that meet functional and cost needs. You will be a member of the Automation Mechanical Design team, and work cross-functionally to develop systems that will revolutionize agriculture.

What you'll do

  • Create efficient, fast, reliable equipment, and support it through validation and production handoff
  • Collaborate with Engineering Product Managers and Systems Engineering to ensure all design requirements are met, and quantify and execute appropriate validation testing
  • Partner closely with Controls Engineers to integrate industrial robots, sensors, electromechanical actuators, pneumatic controls, field input/output, etc.
  • Get hands-on to design, build, and test rapid proof of concept prototypes
  • Mentor fellow engineers on the team 
  • Develop design standardization/templates/libraries for both internal and external use
  • Apply a unified technical vision where appropriate
  • Ensure design quality and completeness through frequent reviews and feedback
  • Build and maintain 3D CAD, 2D part drawings, assembly drawings, and bills of materials (BOMs) 
  • Generate documentation for design validation/production release (design specifications, FMEAs, SOPs, spare parts lists, etc.)

What you'll bring to the table

  • 7+ years of progressive Mechanical Design experience
  • Experience owning numerous subsystems or machines through all product cycles, from concept through production release
  • Experience with manufacturing and/or processing equipment and validating that the equipment meets process parameters
  • Experience designing for many manufacturing processes, e.g. machining, sheet metal processing, welding, with a strong knowledge of materials and finishes
  • Extensive understanding of pneumatic and electric actuators, sensors, and other components typically used in industrial equipment
  • Keen ability to optimize designs for function, cost, maintainability, etc.
  • Expert at creating 3D CAD and 2D drawings, including using and creating templates and macros
  • Excellent internal and external communication skills, including a deep understanding of how the product you will be working on interfaces with and impacts other parts of the farm
  • Adapts and manages through flexible and evolving design requirements, as well as tight time constraints
  • Experience designing equipment for food/washdown/other harsh environments
  • Education or experience equivalent to a B.S. Mechanical Engineering or similar discipline

Type of role

Full-Time 

What we can offer 

  • Compensation; we’ll pay you a competitive salary, give you a stake in the company via equity and contribute toward your 401K 
  • Health & well-being; we’ll invest in your physical and mental well-being with comprehensive medical, dental, & vision benefits, in-office gyms, and an Employee Assistance Program to help with mental health, financial & legal matters 
  • Food; in-office lunches, snacks and access to our leafy greens & new produce in development -- are you up for a side gig as a taste tester?
  • Grow together; learning & development opportunities including unlimited access to our Upstart University platform, LinkedIn Learning, lunch & learns, training certifications, and more
  • Equipment; we’ll provide you with the equipment you need to be successful, including $75/month toward your phone bill and $250 every 2 years to upgrade your phone
  • Paid time off; we know you’ll do your best if you’re taking time to recharge, so we don’t cap the amount of days you can take off per year in addition to the paid holidays we observe
  • Parental leave; 12 weeks off for all new parents - fully paid so you can focus your energy on your newest addition 

Food safety requirements

  • Comply with all Plant, State and Federal OSHA, EPA, FDA, HACCP, and SQF regulations
  • All employees must show proof of COVID vaccination before starting work, other than in limited circumstances where the law requires an exception
  • Ensure equipment design is of a material suitable for food safety and designed in a way that is smooth and easily cleanable

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