---
title: 'Mechanical Design Engineer at Swift Solar'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-design-engineer-swift-solar-san-carlos-rszgpj1x09v3'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-06'
---

# Mechanical Design Engineer at Swift Solar

- **Company:** Swift Solar
- **Location:** San Carlos, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-11-03
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-06
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/swiftsolar/jobs/5468382008

## Job description

## About the company

At Swift Solar, our mission is to unlock the full potential of solar energy. We believe solar can provide affordable, reliable, resilient, clean energy to virtually anyone, anywhere. But while today’s solar technology is good, it’s not good enough.

Swift Solar’s breakthrough perovskite-silicon tandem technology will drive solar power to commanding new heights. Our tandem cells stack a perovskite layer on top of a heterojunction (HJT) silicon cell, delivering dramatically higher efficiency than traditional silicon alone. In 2026, we acquired Meyer Burger’s HJT intellectual property and manufacturing assets, giving us the world’s most extensive HJT patent portfolio and a clear path to gigawatt-scale domestic production.

This vertically integrated approach means we can design, manufacture, and scale next-generation solar solutions entirely in the United States—from silicon foundations to perovskite innovations. Our technology enables applications ranging from space solar to utility-scale power generation, creating American-made solutions for a world facing growing energy challenges.

Swift Solar is on a journey to bring revolutionary clean-energy technology to market. We’re in it for the long haul, with support from world-class investors. Join our extraordinary team building the cutting-edge solar technology that will power the future.

A day in the life

As a Mechanical Design Engineer at Swift, you will help us develop, build, and maintain the equipment to create the next generation of solar products. Your main responsibility will be working with the equipment engineering team to design, procure, and install parts and assemblies for thin-film deposition and processing equipment. Your designs will help Swift improve process performance and prepare for manufacturing scale-up.

On a typical day, you might design components for vacuum chambers and other process equipment, make drawings to send to suppliers to source high-quality parts quickly and cost-effectively, perform a thermal and mechanical analysis of a new assembly, install and troubleshoot an assembly, test such an assembly in production mode,  document findings, and consider improving operating procedures and design changes based on testing.  You will also help develop Swift’s engineering practices and documentation standards.

As part of the hardware team, you’ll help craft Swift’s culture. In this role, you’ll be interacting with every part of the company, which will naturally lead to many opportunities to grow your own skills and responsibilities. We encourage you to take full advantage of these opportunities.

You might be a good fit if you...

- 5+ years of industrial engineering experience working with vacuum equipment or other materials processing equipment in photovoltaics, semiconductors, batteries, or a similar industry.
- Experience working with suppliers and optimizing designs for manufacturability, cost, and serviceability.
- Proficiency working with a formal document control system and release process for parts and drawings.
- Have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
- Have used 3D CAD software to design a variety of parts made by machining, 3D printing, sheet metal processes, and/or welding (SolidWorks preferred).
- Enjoy working with suppliers to source quality parts, test systems you and the team designed, and troubleshoot complex systems.
- Have a desire to learn standards and best practices to help improve Swift’s engineering processes.

A strong candidate might bring one or more of the following...

- Knowledge of proper dimensioning and tolerance analysis, including ASME Y14.5M.
- Past projects using computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis for flow, thermal, and structural simulations (using ANSYS or similar).
- Experience with a process of releasing prototype equipment into high-volume manufacturing.
- 2D drafting of electrical schematics for industrial controls in AutoCAD or similar.
- Vacuum equipment design experience

The logistics

- Compensation: Competitive package including salary, equity, and benefits
- Expected pay range: $120-140K per year
- The actual offer, reflecting total compensation and benefits, will be determined by factors such as years of relevant experience, skills, and other qualifications
- Ideal start date: Dec 2026 - Jan 2027
- Job type: Full-time
- Location: San Carlos, CA (Swift Solar HQ)

## What you’ll love about Swift

- Work with purpose: Join our mission to unlock the full potential of solar energy and make a global impact.
- Lead with innovation: Be part of an extraordinary team building cutting-edge solar technology - growth mindset; culture
- Thrive with benefits: Have 100% of your monthly premiums for HMO / PPO group healthcare plan options and 75% of your dental and vision insurance premiums covered by us. Employees also benefit from 401(k) matching, clean commuter benefits, and meaningful equity.
- Invest in your career: You’ll grow your skills, your network, and your perspective at Swift. We’ll support you in attending conferences and taking online courses, as long as you share your new insights with the team.

We acknowledge that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often hesitate to apply if they don’t meet all the criteria. If you’re excited about this role and believe you can contribute to our team, we encourage you to apply—even if you don’t meet every qualification listed. We're eager to meet people from all backgrounds, and your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need.

If you believe in our mission but this isn’t the right job for you, please explore other career opportunities on our website and email us at careers@swiftsolar.com with any questions. If you have a friend who would be a perfect fit, share this link with them. Thanks!

Swift is an equal opportunity employer. We value an inclusive work environment and welcome team members of all backgrounds and perspectives.

## About Swift Solar

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Swift Solar is a US solar technology company developing high-efficiency, lightweight perovskite tandem solar panels for applications ranging from space to utility-scale energy.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A)
- **Headquarters**: San Carlos, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2017
- **Founders**: Joel Jean (CEO), Tomas Leijtens (CTO), Giles Eperon (Chief Scientific Officer), Max Hoerantner (Chief Engineer)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Solar energy / Perovskite photovoltaic manufacturing
- **Target customers**: B2B — data centers, vehicle manufacturers (EVs), space/satellite operators, utility-scale solar developers, and commercial/industrial solar installers
- **Mission**: Unlock the full potential of solar energy

## Products & Services
- **Perovskite Tandem Solar Panels**: Ultra-efficient, lightweight solar modules that combine perovskite and silicon materials to exceed traditional silicon cell efficiency. Applications include:
  - **Utility-scale solar**: Smaller arrays with shorter payback periods
  - **Commercial & industrial solar**: Cost-effective, high-efficiency rooftop and ground-mount systems
  - **Residential & community solar**: Smaller arrays with faster payback
  - **Vehicles**: Integrated solar for EVs, gaining tens of miles of range per day
  - **Space solar**: High-efficiency, radiation-tolerant panels for satellites and spacecraft
  - **Data centers**: High-efficiency on-site power generation

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding — **$50.4M** across 6 rounds
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Eni Next (lead, Series A), Fontinalis Partners (lead, Series A), Sytse Sijbrandij (lead, Seed), Safar Partners (lead, Seed), National Science Foundation (Grant)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Headcount of 41 employees (+34.7% YoY, +17.9% monthly growth)
  - Named one of TIME’s Top GreenTech Companies in America
  - Won R&D 100 Award
  - 10 active job postings (+400% quarterly growth in postings)
  - LinkedIn followers: 10,657 (+38.3% yearly growth)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proprietary perovskite tandem technology**: Combines perovskite and silicon to exceed the efficiency limits of traditional silicon-only solar cells
- **Patent-protected materials, architectures, and manufacturing methods** built on over a decade of foundational research by the founding team
- **US-based manufacturing focus**: Positioned to benefit from domestic clean energy incentives (IRA) and supply chain resilience
- **World-class founding team**: Spun out of Stanford, MIT, and NREL; founders are leading perovskite scientists with multiple Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher and Forbes 30 Under 30 recognitions
- **Proven stability and scalability**: Claims 30-year equivalent lifetime, with full-size cell efficiency within 10% of lab records

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling US-based manufacturing of perovskite tandem solar panels
- Expanding into multiple high-value verticals: space, automotive, data centers, and utility-scale
- Continuing R&D to improve efficiency, stability, and manufacturability
- Building out a world-class manufacturing and engineering team in San Carlos, CA

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven work**: Directly contribute to unlocking the next generation of solar energy and combating climate change
- **Cutting-edge technology**: Work on perovskite tandem solar cells — one of the most promising emerging solar technologies
- **Strong growth trajectory**: Rapidly scaling headcount (+34.7% YoY) with significant new funding and active hiring across engineering, R&D, and manufacturing roles
- **Benefits**: Full health benefits, 401(k) matching, meaningful equity, and growth opportunities
- **Location**: San Carlos, CA (Bay Area) — on-site roles with a collaborative lab and manufacturing environment
- **Culture**: Described as a global team of innovators, technologists, and manufacturing experts working with purpose

## Sources
1. [swiftsolar.com](https://www.swiftsolar.com/)
2. [swiftsolar.com/about](https://www.swiftsolar.com/about)
3. [swiftsolar.com/careers](https://www.swiftsolar.com/careers)
4. [linkedin.com/company/swift-solar](https://www.linkedin.com/company/swift-solar)
5. [cbinsights.com/company/swift-solar](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/swift-solar)

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