Mechanical Engineer - Prototyping, Integration, and Testing
Somerville, MAFull-timePosted 5mo agoStill listed 1 day ago
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At a glance
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Requirements
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Job overview
Mesodyne is hiring a Mechanical Engineer - Prototyping, Integration, and Testing. Mesodyne is seeking an integration-focused Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and operate advanced experimental systems for their core thermophotovoltaic generator, the LightCell. This role involves working with thermodynamics, microfluidics, and vacuum physics to achieve target performance. The engineer will be responsible for designing and building custom high-temperature thermal cycling setups, environmental simulation chambers, and precision alignment fixtures.
Key focus areas include Work extensively with intricate physical assemblies, Spend substantial time in machine shop using manual mills, lathes, 3D printers, and hand tools, and Design custom, high-fidelity mechanical test systems, experimental fluid loops, and automated thermal-cycling frameworks.
Successful candidates bring BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering. Important skills include Prototyping, Fabrication, Startup Mindset, Communication, 3D CAD Skills, and Eagerness To Learn. Preferred (not required): Hands-on Machining, Manual Mill, Lathe, and 3D Printers.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
We are looking for an integration-focused Mechanical Engineer to design, build, and run the advanced experimental systems that allow our core thermophotovoltaic generator—the LightCell—to reach its target performance. Your playground is where thermodynamics, microfluidics, and vacuum physics meet the real world. You will take ownership of designing and building custom high-temperature thermal cycling setups, environmental simulation chambers, and the precision alignment fixtures required to integrate and test our photovoltaic and nanophotonic systems.
Responsibilities
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Prototyping & Assembly: Work extensively with intricate physical assemblies. You will be hands-on in the lab and machine shop bringing your ideas to life.
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Hands-on Machining & Fabrication: Spend substantial time in our machine shop using manual mills, lathes, 3D printers, and hand tools to rapidly iterate, weld, and self-fabricate your system designs. Able to work many different scales: from tabletop to micro.
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Design Advanced Testing Systems: Design custom, high-fidelity mechanical test systems, experimental fluid loops, and automated thermal-cycling frameworks to push our LightCells to their physical limits.
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Support System-Level Integration: Work side-by-side with the R&D and pilot line assembly teams, troubleshooting complex mechanical, fluidic, and structural interface challenges.
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Characterize Prototype Performance: Set up test instrumentation, install sensors (thermocouples, pressure transducers, flow meters), and run physical validation experiments in the lab.
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Drive Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFM + DFA): Translate your hands-on assembly and testing experiences back into actionable design feedback to the core R&D teams. Qualifications and skills
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Education & Experience: BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering. We are open to fresh graduates, recent Master's grads, or engineers with a few years of industry experience.
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Hands-on Fabrication & Prototyping: A proven ability to build physical prototypes is required (strong extracurricular projects and student project teams count!). Machine shop experience (specifically manual mill and lathe) is a huge plus.
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Startup Mindset: You must be a "do-er." We are looking for someone who favors of rapid, hands-on iteration.
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Communication: Strong written and verbal communication is required. Experience interfacing with vendors is a plus.
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CAD Proficiency: Good 3D CAD skills are required (we use Onshape, but general CAD competence is more important than platform-specific experience).
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Eagerness to Learn: A desire to continuously learn new skills on the job is required. You must be eager to learn a completely new set of materials and fabrication processes for high-temperature applications, as well as combustion engineering, vacuum technology, microfabrication, and other fields relevant to the LightCell. Location
This position is based at our facility in Somerville, MA.
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How this job compares
Set against the 7,392 open Mechanical Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 11, 2026.
- Pay
- This postingNot listed
- Massachusetts median$110–165K/yr195 salary ranges
- US median$45–58/hr396 hourly ranges
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 257 open Mechanical Engineer jobs in Massachusetts and 7,392 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Massachusetts
- Amazon20 open
- RTX Corporation17 open
- Commonwealth Fusion Systems12 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for no prior experience — less than three in four Mechanical Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 6,200 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 5,058 of the 7,392 open Mechanical Engineer jobs (68%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 11, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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