Senior Design Engineer (Semiconductor Machinery Hardware)

SENIOR DESIGN ENGINEER (SEMICONDUCTOR MACHINERY HARDWARE) Freeform builds AI-native manufacturing systems that unify software, hardware, and physics to produce industrial-scale parts at the speed of human ideation. By treating manufacturing as a single integrated system, we unlock a new era of innovation where complex hardware is designed, built, and scaled without limits. Freeform is hiring a Senior Design Engineer focused on semiconductor hardware to sit at the intersection of advanced part design and additive manufacturing. This is a deeply technical senior engineering role responsible for rethinking how semiconductor machinery hardware is conceived, designed, and produced. Not just adapting existing parts for a new process, but fundamentally reimagining what's possible when legacy design constraints no longer apply. You will own complex design challenges end-to-end, working hands-on with some of the most precise and demanding hardware in the industry, and serve as a technical authority on where Freeform's platform unlocks performance regimes, architectures, and geometries that were previously impractical or impossible. The ideal candidate is a highly experienced mechanical engineer with deep intuition for part design, an intimate understanding of semiconductor fabrication machinery and equipment, and a track record of leading technical work on complex hardware programs. They understand semiconductor hardware at a component and systems level, can independently drive and mentor others on manufacturability, materials, tolerances, and performance tradeoffs, and are excited by the creative challenge of designing parts from first principles. The core draw of this role is the engineering itself, though this person will also serve as a senior technical voice engaging directly with some of the most sophisticated semiconductor engineering teams in the industry Responsibilities: Drive part design and redesign across a broad range of semiconductor machinery hardware, including: Wafer handling, robotic end-effectors, and vacuum-compatible armatures Thermal management hardware and high-precision cold plates Ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chambers and internal components Gas delivery manifolds and high-purity fluid systems Lithography tool structural components and precision optics mounts Pedestals and showerhead assemblies for deposition tools Develop and own deep component-level understanding of requirements, performance drivers, and system constraints within semiconductor fabrication equipment Lead first-principles part redesigns, identifying where additive manufacturing enables new geometries, consolidated assemblies, improved performance, or reduced cost and lead time Define and evaluate design concepts with expert command of materials, tolerances, thermal and structural behavior, and production considerations Serve as a senior technical resource - independently resolving advanced questions related to design tradeoffs, process capabilities, qualification pathways, and production scalability, and helping guide less experienced engineers Partner closely with internal engineering and operations teams to drive feasibility, refine concepts, and own execution outcomes Lead technical engagements with customer engineering teams to understand application requirements, present design solutions, and establish deep technical credibility at a senior level Identify, scope, and champion new application spaces where Freeform's technology can deliver step-change improvements over conventional manufacturing Shape Freeform's product, process, and technology roadmap through field-informed technical leadership and strategic input Basic Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or closely related technical discipline 5+ years of experience in a hands-on engineering role within the semiconductor equipment or fabrication industry Demonstrated ability to lead complex hardware programs from concept through qualification and production Expert intu…