Senior Mechanical Design Engineer (CATIA / Creo)

Location: Remote, with regular travel to our headquarters in Wichita, Kansas and occasional travel to customer and partner sites
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Experience target: ~7–10 years (candidates with more experience are welcome to apply)
Scope: High-temperature reactors, furnaces and induction-heated systems for AlN growth and AlON coatings
Base salary: $120,000–$150,000, depending on experience, plus meaningful equity
About Nitride Global
Nitride Global, Inc. is a growth-stage advanced materials company in the semiconductor space, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. We develop aluminum oxynitride (AlON) advanced packaging and thermal management technology for power electronics, RF and 3D packaging, alongside ultra-wide bandgap aluminum nitride (AlN) crystals and substrates. We are one of only four companies worldwide with AlN crystal growth expertise, and the only remaining fully domestically owned one. Our mission is to deliver transformative dual-use innovation while advancing national security and leadership. Our work spans terrestrial production and R&D as well as active space-flight programs with NASA and Axiom Space, engagements with the U.S. Air Force and AFWERX, and partnerships with a number of semiconductor industry leaders. For more information, visit www.nitrideglobal.com.
About the role
This role owns the 3D mechanical design of the high-temperature systems Nitride Global depends on to grow and process aluminum nitride — for terrestrial production today, and increasingly for microgravity environments — with a particular focus on supporting the space-related programs currently underway with NASA and Axiom Space.
In partnership with NASA Ames, we are developing a detailed crystal-growth model and full-scale CFD simulation of our AlN crystal-growth reactors, and we are mid-trial on a crystal-growth reactor intended for eventual launch to the International Space Station. This role designs the hardware those efforts run on. In parallel, our advanced packaging coatings business line is conducting customer trials of an AlON-based thermal-management and passivation coating for advanced packaging, applied by PVD sputtering.
The core of this role is 3D CAD design expertise in CATIA or Creo, applied to advanced materials processing equipment — single-crystal AlN growth reactors, polycrystalline ceramic AlN production equipment, and AlON thin-film deposition systems. Thermal simulation experience is a welcome plus here, and it is straightforward to pick up on the job. The space-related work sits on top of that core in the same way — a strong asset, and something you can grow into. Your output feeds both our current government programs and our long-term production roadmap.
Working arrangement
This role is remote. You will travel regularly to our facility in Wichita, Kansas to work alongside the crystal growth, ceramic processing and coatings teams and to spend time with the equipment itself, plus occasional travel to customer and partner sites.
As part of the investment plan, and based on customer and partner feedback, the company is looking at potentially relocating to another geography over the next year. The current top candidates are Arizona (Phoenix) and Texas (Austin). That is why this role is remote today, with regular travel to Wichita.
What you’ll do
Own the 3D mechanical design of crystal-growth and annealing reactors — full CAD modeling, assemblies, and detailed drawings in CATIA or Creo — including the flight reactor for the Axiom Space microgravity annealing program.
Take designs from concept through GD&T-toleranced production drawings, BOMs, and release, working directly with machine shops and fabrication vendors to get hardware built right the first time.
Apply design-for-manufacturability (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) practices to reactor, furnace, and induction-heater hardware, balancing performance against cost and lead time.
Where you bring thermal simulation experience, use it — CFD and thermal-fluid analysis of AlN crystal growth (single-crystal and polycrystalline ceramic) and our AlON coating processes — to validate designs and guide changes; where you are still building it, you will partner closely with colleagues who have it.
Design and develop systems for launch and space-environment constraints — G-forces at launch, vibration, thermal cycling, containment, and the safety requirements that come with flight hardware.
Apply design improvements to the existing production reactor fleet — including reactor conversion and upgrade work — to raise yield and shorten development cycles.
Work alongside the teams running crystal growth, ceramic processing, and coatings, plus our external space consultants, translating design intent into working hardware.
What we’re looking for
Mechanical engineer with demonstrated expertise in 3D CAD design and detailing in CATIA or Creo (Pro/ENGINEER) — this is the core requirement of the role.
Roughly 7–10 years of experience designing real hardware end-to-end, from concept through GD&T-toleranced drawings, release, and build, with designs validated against what the equipment actually did.
Strong grounding in GD&T (ASME Y14.5), tolerance stack-up analysis, and design for manufacturability and assembly (DFM / DFA).
Thermal simulation experience (ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL, or similar) is a welcome plus.
Knowledge of advanced materials, semiconductor or otherwise. High-temperature processing, crystal growth (single-crystal or polycrystalline / ceramic), vacuum systems, sintering or hot-pressing, and thin-film deposition are all major advantages.
Experience with space vehicles or flight hardware. An understanding of launch G-forces, qualification testing, and space-flight safety requirements is a significant advantage.
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related field; an advanced degree is a plus.
Willingness to travel regularly to Wichita and to customer and partner sites. Time close to the team and the equipment is what makes this role work.
Compensation
Base salary in the range of $120,000–$150,000, depending on experience, plus meaningful equity.

Work arrangement
Yes