Mechanical Technician II

Job Title: Mechanical Technician II

Duration: 12 Months (potential extension for an additional 18 months)

Work Arrangement: 100% Onsite, 5 days per week

Location: Sunnyvale, CA

About the Role

ProtoMake is where new ideas start. Our teams provide everything needed to make and test cutting-edge technologies, including mechanical and electrical design, machining, printing, casting, molding, assembly, laser processing, and repair.

We move fast and are looking for people who are driven to find quick, efficient ways to realize ideas in real materials on complex geometries and compressed timelines.

We get deeply involved in the hardware development process, partnering with product design and industrial design teams to apply our specific areas of expertise to challenging problems. We take pride in being more than just a prototype production service to our customers.

This role is the backbone of the service we provide to our partners. You will work hands-on in the operation of industrial-grade CNC machining equipment, programming parts using templated CAM programs, communicating with customers, and ensuring that we deliver on time. As CNC machining is a critical part of our prototyping services, we're looking for people with a background in digital design coupled with an interest in making things.

Key Responsibilities

• Efficiently program parts using templated CAM programs in Fusion 360 .
• Load and unload materials, check machine status, and launch jobs at regular intervals to ensure delivery commitments are met.
• Remove finished parts from machines, clean, and post-process as required, being careful to protect or highlight key features.
• Make updates in the task management platform to keep requesters apprised of job status.
• Use existing SOPs to maintain equipment and ensure all tools and materials needed are on hand to support continuous production.
• Communicate proactively when jobs encounter issues.
• Take shared responsibility for machine uptime and production continuity.

Required Qualifications

• Experience with CAD/CAM software , preferably Fusion 360 or equivalent.
• Hands-on experience with CNC machine operation , including hobby or commercial-grade equipment.
• Ability to read and interpret 2D/3D digital design files .
• Demonstrated hands-on fabrication or digital design experience.
• 1-2 years minimum experience; 3-5 years preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a prototyping shop environment .
• Post-processing experience, including:
  
  • Deburring
  • Sanding
  • Abrasive blasting
  
  
  
• Familiarity with SolidWorks, Mastercam, or Rhino .
• Familiarity with 5-axis CNC machining .
• Experience with industrial-grade prototyping workflows.
• Experience collaborating directly with design and engineering teams.

Education

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Degree is not required if equivalent shop experience can be demonstrated.

Work Environment

This is a fast-paced environment with tight timelines . Successful candidates must be proactive, communicate when jobs encounter issues, and understand that machine uptime is a shared responsibility. The role requires individuals who can take initiative rather than wait to be told what to do.

Candidate Disqualifiers

• No hands-on fabrication or digital design experience.
• No demonstrated experience with CAD/CAM or digital fabrication tools.
• Gaps in physical hands-on work history.
• Unwillingness to work fully onsite in Sunnyvale, CA .

Performance Measures

Performance will be evaluated based on:

• Part/task throughput
• On-time delivery rate
• Defect/re-run rate
• SOP compliance
• Task management accuracy

Interview Process

• 1-2 interview rounds