Junior Mechanical CAD Engineer / Designer at Equal1 (California)Junior Mechanical CAD Engineer / Designer

We are seeking a Junior Mechanical CAD Engineer / Designer to join Equal1’s cryogenic cooler and system integration team. In this role, you will create mechanical components from concept through assembly and system testing.

Components will include CNC-machined parts, vacuum-brazed assemblies, cryogenic turbo-compressor designs, Joule-Thomson counterflow heat exchangers for He-4 and He-3 cycles, and magnetic field generation and control structures. The role requires strong 3D CAD capability, practical design-for-manufacture knowledge, and a hands-on approach to building and testing cryostat systems.

• Create 3D CAD models, assemblies, and technical drawings for cryogenic cooler and system integration components.
• Design CNC-machined parts, vacuum-brazed assemblies, cryogenic compressor components, heat exchangers, and magnetic field control structures.
• Apply design-for-manufacture and assembly principles, including machining processes, sheet metal fabrication, tolerances, and ease of assembly.
• Work with internal teams, suppliers, and machinists to support fabrication, design iteration, and manufacturability reviews.
• Support hands-on assembly, integration, and testing of cryostat systems.
• Maintain design documentation, drawings, BOMs, and engineering change records.

Required

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• Good knowledge of 3D CAD tools; NX or Onshape experience is a plus.
• 3D CAD and CAM knowledge.
• Understanding of metal production processes, including CNC, 5-axis machining, dual-spindle lathe processes, sheet metal fabrication, and/or 3D metal printing.
• Understanding of engineering materials, including copper, stainless steel, aluminium alloys, carbon fibre, and glass fibre composites.
• Basic understanding of adhesive bonding and brazing processes.
• Hands-on assembly or project execution experience.

• 2+ years of industry experience, ideally in aerospace, semiconductor equipment, cryogenic systems, scientific instrumentation, or precision mechanical engineering.
• Cryogenic experience is a plus.