Materials Engineer (Metals)

Employer description

Atomic Machines is building the Matter Compiler™, the first in a new class of AI-native, all-digital manufacturing systems that build working machines directly from code. The Matter Compiler  (MC) is aimed at micro-machines: motors and gears the size of a grain of sand, robots small enough to work inside the body, cooling built directly into the chips that run AI, and the many devices like them that have been waiting on a way to build them. Its first product is PrimeSwitch™, an electromechanical power relay the size of a button battery that carries 150 amps continuous current and opens in 50 microseconds, about a thousand times faster than a conventional contactor. Founded by Jeff Holden — serial entrepreneur, ex-Amazon SVP and Uber’s first Chief Product Officer — the company has raised $250 million to date.

Atomic Machines is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices in Emeryville and Santa Clara.

About The Role:

We are seeking a curious, hands-on materials engineer to help develop and integrate materials and processes into market-defining commercial devices. You will apply materials science fundamentals to understand how processing affects the structure and properties of metals and ceramics, working alongside experienced engineers to develop processes that meet device requirements.

Your work will span materials processing, characterization, and property testing, with opportunities to build experience in heat treatment, thin-film deposition, bonding, and other fabrication techniques. You will help evaluate incoming materials, investigate how processing changes their behavior, and use experimental results to improve process consistency and performance. You will also collaborate with adjacent teams to transfer established processes from our prototyping fab to our digital, autonomous manufacturing platform.

This full-time position is based in our Emeryville site within the Process Engineering organization.

What You’ll Do:

• Plan and execute experiments with guidance appropriate to experience to understand processing–structure–property relationships across a range of materials, with a focus on metals and ceramics.
• Own assigned process development tasks and projects, troubleshoot issues, and contribute improvements to procedures and tool capabilities.
• Operate materials processing equipment for applications such as rolling, forming, alloy heat treatment, thin-film deposition, and bonding.
• Apply bulk and surface characterization techniques to evaluate materials and monitor process outputs.
• Help evaluate incoming materials through supplier documentation review and in-house testing, and contribute to refining material specifications.
• Collaborate with engineers, technicians, and operators to develop processes and transfer materials, procedures, and supporting documentation into fabrication workflows.
• Follow established processing and safety protocols, analyze experimental data, document procedures, maintain accurate records, and communicate key findings.

What You’ll Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, with 2–3 years of relevant experience, including research or internships.
• Working knowledge of physical metallurgy and processing–structure–property relationships in metals and alloys.
• Hands-on experience processing or characterizing metals, alloys, or coatings.
• Experience with one or more materials characterization techniques (e.g., metallography, SEM, EDS, EBSD, XRF, XRD) or material property tests (e.g., tensile, hardness, fatigue, micro- or nanoindentation).
• Ability to plan systematic experiments, interpret results critically, and communicate findings clearly.

The compensation for this position also includes equity and benefits.

Salary Range$140,000—$170,000 USD

Atomic Machines is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and does not discriminate based on characteristics protected by applicable law. We are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including for individuals with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact [email protected]. To help our recruiting team manage application volume and respond to candidates more efficiently, Atomic Machines may use AI-assisted tools.