Principal Manufacturing Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
Principal manufacturing engineer jobs in California draw visa sponsorship from aerospace and defense contractors near Los Angeles, semiconductor fabs in Silicon Valley and San Jose, and medical device manufacturers across San Diego and the Bay Area. Companies like Apple, Tesla, Northrop Grumman, and Edwards Lifesciences regularly file for experienced manufacturing engineering leaders.
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Join the Teknova Team and Help Shape the Future of Health
When you join the Teknova team, you’re helping to create the future of health. Our customers are working to discover novel therapies that will help people everywhere live longer, healthier lives. We make sure they have a reliable supply of the essential ingredients they need to succeed, and every member of our team plays an important role.
Job Overview
We are seeking an exceptional Senior Mechanical Engineer to design, develop, and validate semi- and fully automated production equipment. This is a hands-on role for someone who finds creative, sound engineering solutions to challenging problems, with a strong focus on quality, reliability, and execution. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Quality, Facilities, MSAT, and Operations and provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers.
Our Culture
At Teknova, our culture is all about creative problem solving, and our default answer is “Yes.” We’re customer-obsessed and go all in for them and each other. We aren’t interested in the status quo—we want to discover what’s possible. We’re bold and built to change. We go above and beyond to develop novel products that help our customers get reliable results, engineer formats that fit their systems, and find ways to ship out their orders one day sooner. Every time we help our customers work more efficiently; we bring them a step closer to that big breakthrough.
Our Values
We value the unique personality and background of everyone on our team—we want you to be you. By working together and sharing our skills, we find new and better solutions for our customers. The people on our team are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re here to support them.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Take full ownership of design projects: create User Requirement Specifications (URS) and Design Input Requirements (DIR), lead concept reviews, and prove out approaches through prototyping and supporting test data.
- Pursue multiple design approaches, lead design reviews, and select a final solution that best meets the design and user requirements.
- Execute on the design and build phase including engineering analysis/calculations, component selection, creation of 3D models/drawings, external vendor management, cost, and schedule management.
- Create and perform comprehensive engineering studies; assess the performance against the DIR and make changes/adjustments, as necessary.
- In partnership with quality engineering (QE), generate qualification/validation documents and execute IQ/OQ/PQ.
- Create BOM, Spare parts list, SOPs, WIs and provide training to operations personnel.
- Propose and implement improvements to existing production equipment. Establish baseline and pursue ideas that would result in increased throughput, reliability, and product quality.
- Provide ongoing engineering support for production equipment and instruments to ensure timely troubleshooting and issue resolution.
- Establish and manage relationships with outside vendors, machine shops, and contract manufacturers.
- Demonstrate leadership by setting an example; provide design oversight and mentorship to junior engineers.
- Participate in FMEA discussions and develop plans to mitigate the identified risks.
- Lead regular meetings and proactively communicate project status to stakeholders.
- Comply with company policies on design control, validation, and documentation; support GMP and ISO initiatives.
Requirements
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Knowledge/Skills/Experience
- 7–10 years of hands-on, system level mechanical engineering and design experience.
- In-depth experience with complex mechanical/electromechanical design, including precision mechanisms, pneumatics, robotics/servo systems, tooling/fixtures, components such as motors, belts/pulleys, gears, actuators, sensors, and vision systems.
- Proficiency with SolidWorks and deep knowledge of GD&T.
- Experience creating engineering drawings, BOMs, and product specifications.
- Deep knowledge of material properties, heat treatment, and surface finish.
- Good understanding of DFM and lean manufacturing.
- Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills, with strong analytical and problem-solving ability.
- Creative, self-motivated, and comfortable working hands-on across a wide variety of tasks in a small-company environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
- Experience in a regulated environment.
- PLC programming experience, including ladder logic and HMI.
- Experience with AutoCAD.
- Familiarity with DOE, SPC, and statistical software (JMP/Minitab).
- Familiarity with sterilization processes and aseptic environments.
- Hands-on machine shop experience.
Salary Description
$154,000.00 - $192,000.00
Tips: Provide a summary of the role, what success in the position looks like, and how this role fits into the organization overall.
Job Type Full-time
Join the Teknova Team and Help Shape the Future of Health
When you join the Teknova team, you’re helping to create the future of health. Our customers are working to discover novel therapies that will help people everywhere live longer, healthier lives. We make sure they have a reliable supply of the essential ingredients they need to succeed, and every member of our team plays an important role.
Job Overview
We are seeking an exceptional Senior Mechanical Engineer to design, develop, and validate semi- and fully automated production equipment. This is a hands-on role for someone who finds creative, sound engineering solutions to challenging problems, with a strong focus on quality, reliability, and execution. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Quality, Facilities, MSAT, and Operations and provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers.
Our Culture
At Teknova, our culture is all about creative problem solving, and our default answer is “Yes.” We’re customer-obsessed and go all in for them and each other. We aren’t interested in the status quo—we want to discover what’s possible. We’re bold and built to change. We go above and beyond to develop novel products that help our customers get reliable results, engineer formats that fit their systems, and find ways to ship out their orders one day sooner. Every time we help our customers work more efficiently; we bring them a step closer to that big breakthrough.
Our Values
We value the unique personality and background of everyone on our team—we want you to be you. By working together and sharing our skills, we find new and better solutions for our customers. The people on our team are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re here to support them.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Take full ownership of design projects: create User Requirement Specifications (URS) and Design Input Requirements (DIR), lead concept reviews, and prove out approaches through prototyping and supporting test data.
- Pursue multiple design approaches, lead design reviews, and select a final solution that best meets the design and user requirements.
- Execute on the design and build phase including engineering analysis/calculations, component selection, creation of 3D models/drawings, external vendor management, cost, and schedule management.
- Create and perform comprehensive engineering studies; assess the performance against the DIR and make changes/adjustments, as necessary.
- In partnership with quality engineering (QE), generate qualification/validation documents and execute IQ/OQ/PQ.
- Create BOM, Spare parts list, SOPs, WIs and provide training to operations personnel.
- Propose and implement improvements to existing production equipment. Establish baseline and pursue ideas that would result in increased throughput, reliability, and product quality.
- Provide ongoing engineering support for production equipment and instruments to ensure timely troubleshooting and issue resolution.
- Establish and manage relationships with outside vendors, machine shops, and contract manufacturers.
- Demonstrate leadership by setting an example; provide design oversight and mentorship to junior engineers.
- Participate in FMEA discussions and develop plans to mitigate the identified risks.
- Lead regular meetings and proactively communicate project status to stakeholders.
- Comply with company policies on design control, validation, and documentation; support GMP and ISO initiatives.
Requirements
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Knowledge/Skills/Experience
- 7–10 years of hands-on, system level mechanical engineering and design experience.
- In-depth experience with complex mechanical/electromechanical design, including precision mechanisms, pneumatics, robotics/servo systems, tooling/fixtures, components such as motors, belts/pulleys, gears, actuators, sensors, and vision systems.
- Proficiency with SolidWorks and deep knowledge of GD&T.
- Experience creating engineering drawings, BOMs, and product specifications.
- Deep knowledge of material properties, heat treatment, and surface finish.
- Good understanding of DFM and lean manufacturing.
- Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills, with strong analytical and problem-solving ability.
- Creative, self-motivated, and comfortable working hands-on across a wide variety of tasks in a small-company environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
- Experience in a regulated environment.
- PLC programming experience, including ladder logic and HMI.
- Experience with AutoCAD.
- Familiarity with DOE, SPC, and statistical software (JMP/Minitab).
- Familiarity with sterilization processes and aseptic environments.
- Hands-on machine shop experience.
Salary Description
$154,000.00 - $192,000.00
Tips: Provide a summary of the role, what success in the position looks like, and how this role fits into the organization overall.
Principal Manufacturing Engineer Job Roles in California
See all 129+ Principal Manufacturing Engineer Jobs in California
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Search Principal Manufacturing Engineer Jobs in CaliforniaPrincipal Manufacturing Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for principal manufacturing engineers in California?
California employers with consistent H-1B visa and green card filing histories for principal manufacturing engineers include Apple, Tesla, Broadcom, Northrop Grumman, Edwards Lifesciences, Lam Research, and Applied Materials. Aerospace primes concentrated in the Los Angeles basin, semiconductor equipment makers in the Bay Area, and medical device companies in San Diego and Orange County are among the most active sponsors for this senior engineering role.
Which visa types realistically fit principal manufacturing engineer roles in California?
The H-1B is the primary path, as principal manufacturing engineer is a specialty occupation requiring a bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial, or a directly related engineering discipline. Canadian and Mexican citizens may qualify under TN visa status as engineers under the USMCA profession list. EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based green cards are common long-term routes, with most California employers filing PERM labor certification for sponsored candidates.
How to find principal manufacturing engineer visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate lists California employers with verified visa sponsorship histories for principal manufacturing engineer roles, letting you search by region across the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Because sponsorship willingness varies significantly by employer and site location, focusing on companies with documented H-1B or PERM filing activity for senior manufacturing engineers saves considerable time compared to cold applications.
Which cities in California have the most principal manufacturing engineer sponsorship jobs?
San Jose and Santa Clara lead for semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, with companies like Lam Research, Applied Materials, and Intel operating major fabs and R&D facilities there. Los Angeles and its surrounding cities host aerospace and defense employers. San Diego concentrates medical device and biotech manufacturing roles. Fremont and the broader East Bay also see activity from electric vehicle and advanced manufacturing employers including Tesla.
Are there state-specific factors that affect visa sponsorship for principal manufacturing engineers in California?
California's concentration of defense contractors requires security clearances for some roles, which can complicate or limit sponsorship eligibility for foreign nationals at certain facilities. The state's strong university pipeline from UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Stanford means employers often build internal sponsorship processes for graduate hires. California also enforces strict worker protections that influence how employers structure sponsored employment agreements for senior engineering positions.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored principal manufacturing engineer jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.