Build the future with Nirvana Energy. Nirvana Energy Systems is building a new class of energy infrastructure: solid-state thermoacoustic Stirling engine systems that generate power, heating, cooling, and cryocooling from a single platform.

No compressors. No refrigerants. No conventional maintenance cycles.
Just physics, pushed to its limits.

The platform is rooted in decades of research and development by Stanford, NASA, SRI, and PARC and is moving from prototype toward real-world deployment across AI data centers, defense systems, and next-generation heating and cooling.

About Nirvana

We understand that no one individual knows everything. We will learn together and from one another. We strive to build a collaborative, enriching environment that supports personal, technical, and career growth. You can expect to work in a dynamic and collaborative environment driven by first-principles engineering and focused on solving difficult problems.

Job Overview

Nirvana Energy is seeking a highly experienced mechanical and manufacturing engineer who is passionate about making a meaningful impact in the world. The successful candidate will have a strong record of designing complex mechanical systems, be fluent in finite element analysis (FEA) and SolidWorks, and be comfortable fabricating and testing first-of-a-kind prototype systems.

This role requires thorough knowledge of additive manufacturing, including metal 3D printing, and demonstrated experience designing products for reliable, cost-effective volume manufacturing. You will help move Nirvana’s heat-engine platform from beta prototypes through industrialization, supply-chain development, and scalable production.

How You Will Contribute

Your work will span product design, engineering analysis, prototype fabrication, additive manufacturing, industrialization, supply-chain development, and production readiness.

Product Design & Engineering

• Design beta-prototype heat engines for volume manufacturing, then lead and support their build, test, and design iteration.
• Own mechanical design of complex components, subassemblies, and integrated systems from concept through production release.
• Create and maintain production-ready SolidWorks models, assemblies, drawings, bills of materials, and engineering change documentation.
• Apply FEA to evaluate structural stress, fatigue, thermal behavior, vibration, pressure loading, interfaces, and design margins.
• Drive material selection, tolerance analysis, GD&T, fastening, sealing, joining, and other critical design decisions affecting safety, performance, quality, and cost.

Prototype Fabrication & Additive Manufacturing

• Translate designs into working hardware through hands-on prototype fabrication, assembly, inspection, troubleshooting, and test.
• Select and apply appropriate additive manufacturing processes, including metal 3D printing, polymer printing, build orientation, support strategy, post-processing, and inspection.
• Develop fixtures, tooling, prototypes, and experimental hardware using internal shop capabilities and qualified external suppliers.
• Evaluate additive-manufactured parts for dimensional accuracy, surface condition, material properties, repeatability, and suitability for production use.

Manufacturability & Industrialization

• Collaborate with the development team to ensure manufacturability, serviceability, repeatability, and testability throughout the design process.
• Lead design-for-manufacturing and design-for-assembly (DFM/DFA) reviews and convert prototype learnings into scalable product and process requirements.
• Develop manufacturing process flows, work instructions, inspection methods, acceptance criteria, tooling strategies, and production documentation.
• Support process capability, failure-mode analysis, root-cause investigation, corrective action, and continuous improvement as designs mature.
• Plan and execute the transition from beta prototypes to pilot builds and volume manufacturing without compromising performance or reliability.

Supply Chain & Production Readiness

• Develop, qualify, and maintain the product manufacturing supply line for critical components, subassemblies, tooling, and production services.
• Lead supplier technical engagement, manufacturability reviews, make-versus-buy analysis, part qualification, and production-readiness assessment.
• Partner across engineering, manufacturing, quality, test, operations, and suppliers to manage cost, lead time, yield, quality, and capacity.
• Identify supply and manufacturing risks early and establish practical mitigation and second-source strategies where appropriate.

What You Will Bring

We prioritize deep engineering judgment, hands-on execution, first-principles problem solving, and a demonstrated ability to turn sophisticated designs into products that can be manufactured reliably at volume.

Necessary Experience

• Clearly demonstrated volume-manufacturing experience with successful products that have shipped to customers, preferably in heat engines, generators, combined heat and power (CHP), or energy systems.
• Master’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related discipline, with 15+ years of relevant industry engineering experience.
• Strong background designing and releasing complex mechanical systems, components, and assemblies for demanding operating environments.
• Advanced proficiency in SolidWorks for complex part, assembly, drawing, configuration, tolerance, and product-data workflows.
• Fluency in FEA, including model setup, boundary conditions, mesh strategy, interpretation of results, correlation to test data, and communication of design margins.
• Hands-on experience fabricating, assembling, instrumenting, testing, troubleshooting, and iterating first-of-a-kind prototype systems.
• Thorough knowledge of additive manufacturing, including metal 3D printing, process selection, design rules, material considerations, post-processing, inspection, and part qualification.
• Demonstrated expertise in DFM/DFA and the conversion of prototype designs into repeatable, cost-effective, volume-manufacturable products.
• Experience developing or supporting production supply chains, qualifying suppliers, resolving manufacturing issues, and controlling engineering changes.
• Self-motivated team player with a go-getter mentality, strong ownership, and the ability to execute effectively in an evolving R&D environment.
• Demonstrated strong oral and written communication skills, including clear technical documentation and effective collaboration across functions and suppliers.

Preferred Experience

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Direct experience in the heat-engine and/or Stirling-engine industry.
• Experience designing generators, CHP systems, thermal systems, pressure vessels, high-pressure gas systems, or other energy-conversion equipment.
• Background with fatigue, vibration, thermal-mechanical analysis, sealing, pressure boundaries, and reliability validation.
• Experience with machining, welding, brazing, castings, forgings, sheet metal, composites, coatings, and precision inspection in addition to additive manufacturing.
• Experience leading NPI, pilot production, process qualification, PFMEA, control plans, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action programs.
• Familiarity with instrumentation, DAQ systems, structured test planning, and validation of analytical models against physical hardware.

What Makes Someone Exceptional Here

• You have personally taken a complex mechanical product from prototype through customer shipment at meaningful volume.
• You move comfortably between CAD, analysis, the machine shop, the test stand, suppliers, and the production floor.
• You use analysis to guide decisions but validate critical assumptions through disciplined testing and inspection.
• You recognize manufacturability, quality, cost, and supply risk early enough to influence the design.
• You raise the technical standard of the team while remaining practical, collaborative, and willing to work hands-on.

Why Nirvana

• Work on breakthrough, NASA-derived technology with meaningful real-world impact.
• Shape both the product architecture and the manufacturing system for a new category of energy hardware.
• Be part of a small, highly collaborative team where senior engineers remain close to the hardware.
• Lead the transition from advanced prototypes to scalable commercial production.
• Help build cleaner, more resilient systems for power, heating, cooling, and cryocooling.

Compensation & Featured Benefits

This is a salaried position with an annual base salary range of $42,000–$52,000 USD for Strongsville, OH location. Bay Area compensation will be adjusted accordingly to cost of living. The role is not eligible for an annual incentive. Final compensation will reflect the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and work location, as permitted by applicable law.

Who Should Apply

If you want a purely desk-based engineering role, this is not it.