The posting
As our Mechanical Systems Engineer, you will own the mechanical design and integration of our containerized power electronic systems. You will take system architecture from concept to a design that can be built at volume, deployed in the field, and serviced with standard tools. You will work side by side with power electronics, electrical, and thermal engineers and directly with suppliers, and your decisions will shape cost, reliability, and how quickly we scale.
Why You Will Want This Role
- Real ownership. You will be the lead for mechanical system integration, not one piece of a large team.
- Visible impact. The systems you design will be deployed in the field supporting clean energy.
- Breadth. Enclosures, thermal, busbars, structure, serviceability, and manufacturing all run through you.
- Build the foundation. You will help define our field service strategy, design standards, and documentation as we move toward volume production.
What You Will Do
- Lead detailed design. Turn system architecture and layout intent into complete component and assembly designs.
- Own system integration. Manage mechanical and electrical interfaces, packaging, clearances, serviceability, and fit across power electronics, enclosures, racks, thermal management, interconnects, and structure.
- Keep the system view. Track how component choices affect cost, weight, thermal performance, manufacturability, and field integration, and flag conflicts between subsystems early.
- Drive tradeoff decisions. Evaluate options for enclosures, thermal management, busbars, harnessing, structural supports, and environmental sealing, and make data based recommendations.
- Partner with suppliers. Define mechanical, electrical, and thermal interfaces, materials, and surface treatments early, and bring supplier capabilities back into the design.
- Design for volume. Reduce part count, difficult processes, and manual steps. Perform tolerance analysis, write assembly instructions, and design tooling, jigs, and fixtures for mass production.
- Build the field replaceable unit (FRU) strategy. Partition the system into serviceable modules with clear interfaces. Set requirements for connectors, mounting, captive hardware, access, and lifting so units can be swapped safely with standard tools and minimal downtime. Document replacement procedures, including torque specs, installation sequence, and lockout and de-energization steps.
- Document the design. Maintain CAD, drawings, interface control documents, BOMs, assembly and service procedures, and the requirements traceability behind design choices.
- Prove it out. Support design reviews, prototyping, and system integration and serviceability testing as the design matures.
What You Bring
- B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent.
- 5+ years of experience in electronics packaging mechanical design or mechanical and electrical systems integration.
- 2+ years of SolidWorks experience, with the ability to produce detailed engineering drawings.
- Experience designing thermal management solutions using forced air and liquid cooling.
- Strong command of design for manufacturing (DFM) across sheet metal, weldments, injection molding, extrusions, and machining, plus tolerance stack up, stress analysis, and assembly sequence optimization.
- A track record of comparing components against requirements, assessing tradeoffs, and integrating them into large mechanical assemblies.
- Clear written and verbal communication, and comfort working directly with suppliers and cross functional teams.
Nice to Have
- Experience designing deployed equipment for field serviceability and FRU replacement, including connectors, service access, handling, and standardized maintenance procedures.
- Experience integrating multi subsystem hardware across mechanical, electrical, and thermal domains.
- Design for assembly (DFA) experience with exposure to production ramp and volume manufacturing.
- Power electronics, battery, or electrical system packaging experience (enclosures, brackets, busbars, heatsinks, cold plates), including dielectric, clearance, and creepage requirements.
- Experience with PLM systems such as Teamcenter, SolidWorks PDM, or Propel.
- Familiarity with UL and IEC standards and certification for power and energy storage equipment.
- Experience working with international suppliers.
- You enjoy a fast paced startup where priorities shift and you get to shape how things are
Benefits and Perks:
- Competitive Compensation Package
- Health Insurance: We offer 100% coverage of employee and 75% of dependent premiums under a Gold-level PPO plan. Dental & Vision Insurance: 50% of employee premiums are covered.
- Retirement Plan: A 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match.
Additional Information:
Minimum salary of $140,000 to maximum salary of $205,000 + equity + benefits.
The range provided is 1AP’s reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount will be based on job-related and non-discriminatory factors such as location, experience, training, skills, and abilities. Consult with your Recruiter during the initial call to determine a more targeted range based on these job-related factors.
About 1 Arc Power:
At 1 Arc Power, we are on a mission to deliver simple, fast-to-deploy, customer-centric and intelligent power systems leveraging the abundance of solar to provide inexpensive and reliable clean energy to global customers from data centers to energy starved communities around the world. We envision a future where every community, business, and nation thrives on the limitless potential of clean energy, united in a shared commitment to a sustainable and equitable world.
You will be working with Dr. Tom Buttgenbach, one of the most successful clean energy technology innovators and entrepreneurs who has been a driving force in making solar-based energy solutions the cheapest and most reliable energy option. Tom founded and led Avantus (formerly known as “8minute Solar Energy“), to become one of the largest and most profitable solar and energy storage companies in the United States and the largest in California, including delivering over 17% of Los Angeles’ power.
When Tom sold his interest in Avantus’ development business to KKR in mid-2024, it had delivered over $1 billion in profit and secured over $10 Billion in power purchase agreements and project financings with a pipeline of over 30 GW of solar and 90 GWh of energy storage, capable of powering the homes of more than 20 million Americans day and night.
Tom’s family office investment firm, 1st Avenue Capital, is building teams for the next generation of advanced solar power system architecture and AI to aggressively drive down the cost of and equitable access to clean and reliable energy.[1] 1st Avenue’s advanced large scale power systems are addressing the increasing inadequacy of the grid to meet the massively growing power demands of the digital economy, while its intelligent distributed solar utilities are leapfrogging the grid to provide equitable access to inexpensive, clean and reliable power to underserved communities around the world.
1AI Energy, the employing entity for 1 Arc Power, and 1 Arc Power are committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee based on race (inclusive of traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding), age, veteran or military status, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, reproductive decision-making, or any other legally recognized protected class under federal, state, or local law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on 1AI Energy or 1st Avenue Power. Please inform the company's personnel representative if you need assistance completing an application or to otherwise participate in the application process.
Join our team and make a real difference in the world.
[1: Additionally, 1st Avenue is in the business of acquiring projects where there has been a final notice-to-proceed or financial close.]
California Pay Range
$140,000—$205,000 USD
