Staff Mechanical Design Engineer, Big Machines

Number of employees

2000

McCarran, NV; San Francisco, California, United States, United States

Posted on: 2026-08-01

Category: materials

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Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Intermediate

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Redwood Materials is an American clean energy company headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, focused on securing domestic supplies of critical battery materials and providing large-scale energy storage solutions. The company recycles end-of-life batteries to recover lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper, creating one of the largest domestic sources of these critical minerals in the United States. Its operations support the broader transition away from reliance on foreign supply chains for materials essential to electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Through its Redwood Energy division, the company designs, integrates, and deploys large-scale energy storage systems for data centers and the national grid, utilizing both new and repurposed batteries to deliver cost-effective solutions. Redwood Materials partners with major automotive, technology, and energy companies including Volkswagen Group of America, Panasonic, GM Ultium Cells, Toyota, BMW, Amazon, Volvo, and Southern Company, reflecting its central role in the emerging domestic battery supply chain. Founded by former Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel, Redwood Materials was established with the mission of building a circular economy for batteries, reducing waste, lowering the carbon footprint of energy storage, and strengthening American energy independence. The company holds ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 certifications, underscoring its commitment to occupational health, safety, and environmental management standards.

About Redwood Materials

Redwood is localizing a global battery supply chain that seamlessly integrates recovery, reuse, and recycling — keeping critical minerals in circulation and driving the energy transition. Founded in 2017, we’re delivering low-cost and large-scale energy storage and producing battery materials in the U.S. for the first time, all from batteries we already have.

Mechanical Design Engineer, Big Machines 

Do you want to design and build robust, industrial-scale machinery from the ground up? Join the Big Machines team at Redwood Materials, where we develop high-performance equipment—such as 200 ton kilns, meter long knife gates, rotary seals, and complex 30m+ conveyance systems—built to operate reliably at 900°C in some of the most corrosive, debris-laden environments on Earth. 

Our team partners closely with engineering leadership to solve large-scale mechanical challenges as we scale cutting-edge technologies that drive the circular battery economy. By increasing the reach of recycled and sustainable materials, we are transforming the global battery supply chain. As a member of the Big Machines team, you’ll collaborate with high caliber engineers to design, fabricate, and deploy critical production assets. We’re looking for creative problem solvers who can tackle complex mechanical systems—people who think both tactically and strategically to deliver durable, long-term solutions. If you’re ready to make a tangible impact on the future of sustainable manufacturing, we want to hear from you. 

Responsibilities

  • Lead the design, build, and activation of low-volume custom machinery and infrastructure

  • Collaborate with production engineering to debug existing equipment and manufacturing processes to maximize production rates

  • Execute structural sizing, mechanism design, hardware fabrication, and activation testing to deliver results on projects

  • Create detailed models and engineering prints in SolidWorks

  • Perform engineering hand calculations and analysis to size structures and mechanisms

  • Support machine activation alongside controls engineering teams and perform development testing with production engineering teams

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline

  • Experience using a CAD software design package such as SolidWorks, NX, CATIA, or Pro/ENGINEER

  • 2+ years of professional experience designing and analyzing mechanical structures

Preferred Qualifications

  • 5+ years of technical product development experience

  • Ability to prioritize and execute tasks in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

  • Ability to work in a collaborative team environment, including daily interactions with engineers, maintenance, suppliers, and leadership

  • Experience working in a production facility with heavy equipment and industrial machinery

  • Experience managing large CAD assembly models and engineering drawings

  • Experience with finite element analysis (FEA)

  • Experience with statistical data collection, analysis, and reporting

  • Experience designing and fabricating welded structures

  • Experience designing and testing mechanical mechanisms

  • Experience with basic electrical engineering components, including servos, actuators, and sensor integration

  • Strong understanding and application of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)

  • Hands-on experience with equipment manufacturing and implementation

  • Self-motivated approach with a hands-on mindset and strong initiative

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

  • Passion for sustainability and clean energy technology

In accordance with California pay transparency laws, the salary range for this position is listed below. Actual compensation may vary based on a variety of factors, including experience, education, and skills. 

California Pay Range:
$147,500$235,000 USD

The position is full-time. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.

 

We collect personal information (PI) from you in connection with your application for employment with Redwood Materials, including the following categories of PI: identifiers, personal records, professional or employment information, and inferences drawn from your PI. We collect your PI for our purposes, including performing services and operations related to your potential employment. If you have additional privacy-related questions, please contact us at [email protected].

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