Senior Mechanical Engineer, Robotics

Role overview

Mechanical design and architecture

• Own architecture for mobile robot platforms and robotic arms, including chassis, drivetrain, joints, end effectors, and enclosures.
• Design precision mechanisms and load-bearing structures in CAD while balancing stiffness, mass, backlash, serviceability, and cost.
• Manage mass, inertia, and packaging budgets as requirements evolve.
• Translate motion requirements into joint layouts, reach envelopes, payload capability, and actuator selection.

Actuation and validation

• Select and integrate motors, gearboxes, harmonic drives, belts, ball screws, bearings, and brakes to meet torque, speed, and stiffness targets.
• Size drivetrains for real duty cycles and validate against measured load data; design compliant and force-controlled mechanisms for safe interaction.
• Solve cable-routing, slip-ring, and harness challenges for articulated joints designed for millions of cycles.
• Run FEA and FMEA, model thermal paths, and design cooling suitable for high ambient conditions.
• Build and instrument test rigs for life, fatigue, shock, vibration, ingress, and accuracy; run tests to failure and close failure root causes with design changes.

Prototyping and production

• Build prototypes with in-house machining, 3D printing, and rapid fabrication.
• Design for CNC, sheet metal, injection molding, casting, and composites, selecting processes for production volume.
• Create drawing packages with GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, fit and finish specifications, bills of materials, and assembly procedures.
• Work with suppliers and contract manufacturers on quoting, first-article inspection, qualification, and yield.

Collaboration and leadership

• Partner with electrical, firmware, controls, and industrial design teams so mechanical choices support the whole robot.
• Set mechanical design standards, CAD and PDM practices, and documentation quality for the robotics hardware team.
• Mentor engineers and raise technical quality through design reviews and hands-on build and test work.
• Design for field serviceability, including spares, tooling, maintenance intervals, and technician-friendly assemblies.

Required qualifications

• Six to ten years designing mechanical systems for robotics, automotive, aerospace, consumer hardware, or industrial automation.
• Proven ownership of mechanisms from concept through prototype, qualification, and volume production.
• Strong machine-design fundamentals, including stress, fatigue, kinematics, bearing and gear selection, and tolerance analysis.
• Expert CAD capability in SolidWorks, NX, Creo, Onshape, or equivalent, with disciplined PDM and revision control.
• Practical FEA experience and judgment to use hand calculations when appropriate.
• Fluency in GD&T and tolerance stack-ups and a record of drawings that shops can build from.
• Hands-on lab and shop ability, including assembly, machining, fixturing, instrumentation, and testing.
• Experience designing for environmental robustness, including ingress protection, dust, heat, vibration, and repeated transport.
• Clear technical writing and comfort in a fast-moving environment where hardware changes weekly.
• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or equivalent demonstrated experience.

Additional qualifications

• Experience with humanoid, legged, or manipulator platforms is a plus.
• Background in high-cycle-life mechanisms or show-critical hardware is a plus.
• Familiarity with ROS 2 and robot system integration is a plus.
• Exposure to ISO 13849 or ISO 10218 machinery safety standards is a plus.
• Python or MATLAB scripting for analysis and test automation is a plus.

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