About the Company
Obsidian Sensors (San Diego, CA) is shifting the paradigm thermal imaging technology. Once known as an expensive commodity, the use of thermal imaging has historically been limited to niche consumer use cases and the military… but no longer. Obsidian’s goal is to democratize this dual-use technology to its maximum potential. Enabled by Obsidian’s core technology and IP, thermal imaging is becoming available at a cost and scale ready for full proliferation into the emerging markets (automotive & security).
About the Role
We are seeking a highly motivated Equipment Engineer to support the development, qualification, and scale-up of a novel packaging system for high-volume advanced device manufacturing.
This role will focus on turning new packaging concepts into robust, manufacturable equipment, and process flows. The engineer will work hands-on with vacuum tools, process hardware, fixtures, automation, and process engineering personnel. The ideal candidate has strong practical engineering judgment, knowledge of vacuum systems or semiconductor/MEMS equipment, and the ability to troubleshoot complex hardware and process interactions in a fast-moving environment. This is a cross-functional role that combines equipment development, qualification, and manufacturing transfer.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and optimize tooling and hardware for packaging processes.
- Execute equipment qualification plans, including test planning, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Characterize tool performance, process repeatability, functional performance, thermal behavior, contamination risk, and yield-impacting variables.
- Troubleshoot equipment, process, and integration issues using structured root-cause analysis.
- Work with internal engineering teams to define equipment requirements, process windows, tooling interfaces, and manufacturing constraints.
- Develop procedures for tool operation, maintenance, calibration, process control, and production handoff.
- Interface with vendors, machine shops, contract manufacturers, and external equipment suppliers as needed in development and maintenance
- Maintain clear documentation of equipment designs, process conditions, qualification results, and engineering changes.
Required Qualifications
- B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field.
- Comfortable working directly with hardware in a lab, pilot line, or manufacturing environment within a class 100 cleanroom environment.
- Familiarity with CAD, mechanical design, fixture design, and tolerance analysis.
- Ability to troubleshoot mechanical, thermal, electrical, and process-related problems in complex equipment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work effectively across engineering, operations, manufacturing, quality, and vendor teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Hands-on experience with vacuum systems, process equipment, semiconductor tools, advanced packaging, or related manufacturing hardware.
- Strong understanding of vacuum system fundamentals, including pumping, sealing, leak checking, pressure measurement, gas flow, and contamination control.
- Experience with tool automation, PLCs, motion control, sensors, heaters, pressure controllers, or process control systems.
- Experience supporting transfer from R&D into high-volume manufacturing.
- Experience working with external equipment vendors or custom tool builders.
Desired Attributes
- Hands-on, practical, and comfortable solving problems directly at the tool.
- Detailed-oriented in designs, receives input from multiple sources well.
- Strong technical curiosity and willingness to learn unfamiliar equipment.
- Organized and disciplined with documentation, test planning, and follow-through.
- Takes ownership of problems and drives them to closure.
- Best idea wins attitude.
Compensation and Level
Title and compensation will be commensurate with experience. Candidates with both hands-on equipment experience and manufacturing scale-up experience are especially encouraged to apply.