Principal Design Engineer - Mechanical Equipment (80-100%)

Lead technically by doing. Join our Design Engineering team as a highly experienced individual contributor. You will take on challenging mechanical design problems yourself, from concepts and CAD models to manufacturing drawings, prototypes and tested hardware, while helping the wider team make strong technical decisions. As a Principal Design Engineer, you are a hands-on member of our Design Engineering team, designing Climeworks’ CO2 collectors, the heart of our direct air capture plant. Improving how they perform, are manufactured and scale is central to the future success of DAC. - Mechanical concept & product design: You personally turn new concepts into robust physical products: developing mechanical concepts, creating CAD models, designing components and complete collector assemblies, producing manufacturing drawings, and supporting hardware through fabrication, assembly and testing. - Engineering problem-solving & risk reduction: Your experience helps you find the right solutions faster, anticipate problems early and reduce risk before issues reach manufacturing or testing. - CO2 collector design: You take mechanical systems from requirements and concepts through to detailed, manufacturable designs. You develop solutions, perform engineering calculations and make the decisions needed to create robust industrial hardware. - First-principles engineering: You use experience and first-principles reasoning to identify risks early, evaluate alternatives quickly and converge on simple, robust solutions. You apply calculations, tolerance analysis, design reviews and testing to reduce uncertainty. - Own design from concept to commercialisation: You work directly in SolidWorks to create and modify parts, assemblies and system layouts. You manage complex interfaces, packaging constraints and design changes so the complete system works together. You produce and maintain high-quality 2D manufacturing drawings, including appropriate GD&T, tolerances, materials, finishes and manufacturing requirements. - Prototype fabrication, assembly & testing: You stay closely involved after the CAD work is complete. You support prototype fabrication, assembly and testing, investigate issues and incorporate the learning back into the design. - Technical leadership & design reviews: You act as a senior technical reference for the team, supporting the Design Engineering line manager with design reviews, engineering standards and approval of critical designs. You support the extended team with technical judgement on complex mechanical design decisions, help maintain strong engineering practices and share your experience through everyday collaboration, mentoring and constructive challenge. - Cross-functional engineering collaboration: You work with manufacturing, testing, process engineering, procurement, suppliers and other engineering disciplines to ensure mechanical designs work as part of the complete product. You integrate external design resources where needed.