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. What makes you stand out Your experience makes your engineering more effective: you spot promising solutions early, expose weak points before they become expensive, and deliver designs that are clear, manufacturable and ready to perform in the real world. Mechanical Design Experience: You bring 15+ years of hands-on mechanical design experience, ideally developing complex industrial equipment from concept through manufacture, assembly and testing. Sheet Metal Design & Manufacturing: You have deep practical experience designing sheet-metal parts, structures and assemblies for manufacture at scale. You understand bending, welding and joining methods, forming, tolerances, material and thickness selection, and how design choices affect tooling, cost, assembly and quality. CAD & Drawings: You are an expert SolidWorks user and remain hands-on with CAD. You personally create high-quality manufacturing drawings and are confident with GD&T and tolerance chains. System Design & Engineering Judgement: You have experience designing from components and mechanisms through subsystems, interfaces and complex assemblies. You understand how decisions at one level affect the complete collector and can balance structures, airflow, movement, sealing, process interfaces, manufacturability, reliability and cost to arrive at robust solutions. Manufacturing & DFMA: You have strong knowledge of machined parts, welded structures, materials and manufacturing processes, and apply DFMA to create robust, cost-effective designs. Collaboration & Technical Leadership: You work effectively with engineers, technicians, manufacturers and suppliers. You share your experience, challenge constructively and help others make better technical decisions. Education: You have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or similar. This job is not for you, if… you mainly want to manage people or projects. you mainly do simulation, concept work or system-level engineering without your own CAD work. you have no experience with sheet metal, welded structures or manufacturing at scale. Our promise: At Climeworks, you are accepted for who you are, and we are committed to building an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply – regardless of background, identity, or experience. Studies show that women and individuals from minority backgrounds often only apply for jobs when they meet 100% of the listed criteria. If this sounds like you, don’t hold back. If you think you’d make a great fit for this role, we’d love to hear from you, even if you don’t check every single box. Let’s tackle one of humankind’s greatest challenges together. What we offer: Time Off: Enjoy 25 paid vacation days every year, plus public holidays. Flexibility: Work how it suits you best. We offer a hybrid work setup and up to 4 weeks of remote work annually within any EU country. Ownership: Fair base pay paired with an equity package – because your contributions matter. Family Support: Inclusive parental leave. Continuous Learning: Dedicated budget to invest in your professional growth. Referral Rewards: Help us grow our team and earn bonuses for your successful referrals. Salary: At Climeworks, salary ranges are assigned to a job based on the level of seniority and the location specific market median of similar jobs according to external benchmark surveys. Individual compensation depends on your skills, experience, and the value you bring to the team. Formalities: This position is based in Opfikon, Zurich, and we ask that you work onsite at least three days per week. The percentage in the job title means flexibility – choose full-time or part-time based on what works for you. We do not accept candidate profiles through recruitment agencies.