Job Opening: Mechanical Design and Systems Engineer

Sparkz Inc., is looking to hire a Mechanical Design and Systems Engineer at their Sacramento, California location. Posted January 12, 2026.

 

Location: Sacramento, California

 

Employment Type: Full-time, Exempt

 

Work Environment: On-site role in both an office and manufacturing environment

 

Safety Sensitive: Yes

 

What we are seeking

Sparkz is looking to introduce a battery energy storage system (BESS) for the grid, as part of its mission to establish and be at the forefront of a US produced lithium-ion battery energy ecosystem.

We are seeking a Senior mechanical design and systems engineer. As part of Sparkz Battery System Design Team, you will bring “out of the box yet first principles thinking” for designing the BESS from the ground up and help scale it to production working with a highly motivated and interdisciplinary team.

As a key member of our systems integration team, you will be responsible for assisting in the design, documentation, and development of our Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS) portfolio.  You will be responsible for creating CAD models of our products, drafting drawings to send to manufacturers, and assisting with the assembly of prototypes.

 

This is what you will be doing at Sparkz:

  • Model BESS design from the component level up to a completed system in Fusion 360, Solidworks, or other CAD systems based on customer requirements with Design for manufacturability, Design for cost and every other DFx at the core of your design process
  • Build-to-print and draft drawings of BESS mechanical and thermal management components to send out for prototype manufacturing
  • Hands-on building as well as oversee the assembly of prototype units in a manufacturing environment
  • Develop and implement component and sub-system validation and testing plan
  • Develop and implement strategies to streamline the manufacturing of components of the BESS
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, process, and quality teams to scale prototype manufacturing processes to production levels

 

What you bring to Sparkz

  • Minimum 6 years of product design and scale up experience in an aerospace or defense or semiconductor or battery development, fuel cell or related product design or development and manufacturing environment;
  • Experience in thermodynamics or fluid dynamics is a must.
  • Experience with hand tools, testing and validation tools; experience with CNC milling, advanced manufacturing, and electronics is a plus
  • Hands-on experience with generating and maintaining documentation such as Bills of Materials (BOMS) and part change logs; ERP experience is a plus
  • Proven commitment to safety protocols, including use of PPE, hazard communication, and chemical handling procedures.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a closely related field (advanced degree preferred).
  • Strong data analysis and documentation skills.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
  • Excellent communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative, cross-functional team.

 

Additional Information:

  • This position is classified as safety-sensitive and may be subject to drug and alcohol testing consistent with applicable law.
  • Sparkz provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable state and federal law.
  • Employment at Sparkz is at-will, meaning either you or the Company may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or notice.
  • Sparkz is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), age, national origin, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

 

Working Conditions:

  • Manufacturing and R&D plant environment.
  • May require occasional travel to vendor sites or other facilities.
  • Use of PPE is required in certain areas of the plant.

 

Compensation: $80-100K annual salary range

 

Please Note

  • All job offers are subject to pre-employment drug screening and a background check since this is a safety sensitive position.
  • Unless otherwise noted, we do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

 

Notice to Agencies: We only accept resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing services if a Service Agreement has been signed and we have requested recruitment/staffing services for the specific position. Any unsolicited resumes will become the property of the company, and no fees or compensation will be paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or staffing service.

To Apply Email Resume and Cover Letter to HR@sparkz.energy

Founder & CEO

Dr. Sanjiv Malhotra

Dr. Sanjiv Malhotra is the founder and CEO of Sparkz—the battery start-up reinventing the energy supply chain.

 

Malhotra has been a leader in the energy sector for nearly three decades as a founder, investor and executive. Most recently, he served as the inaugural director for the Energy Investor Center at the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), serving under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

 

At DOE, Malhotra led the Obama Administration’s initiative to boost public-private partnerships to accelerate the commercialization of technologies developed in national research centers like Oak Ridge National Labs.

 

Malhotra was recruited to the Department of Energy after a successful exit of Oorja Protonics—the world leader in methanol fuel cells—which he founded and led as CEO for 10 years. Oorja raised $50 Million in equity financing from leading VCs such as Sequoia, DAG Ventures, Artis Capital and others during his tenure. He boosted Oorja’s revenue and profitability growth, while expanding operations globally in Japan, China, South Africa, Mexico, and India.

 

Oorja was acquired in 2014 by the Private Equity firm MinXing Growth Fund.

 

As an investor and consultant, Malhotra has worked at leading venture capital firms, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers as an advisor on clean energy and advanced materials.

 

Earlier in his career, Malhotra led the engineering and product development team at H Power, a pioneer in hydrogen fuel cells. As part of the management team, he managed the successful IPO, which raised more than $100 million in August 2000.

 

He began his career as a post-doctoral fellow at the renowned Lawrence Berkeley National Labs on electrochemical storage systems. Dr. Malhotra has authored seven patents and more than 40 publications in various fields of energy storage technology and materials. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering and an M.B.A from University of Iowa.