Mechanical Engineer

About the Role

A pre-seed robotics startup building rugged autonomous systems for hazardous environments — spanning emergency response, industrial, and defense sectors — is looking for a Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical systems of their harsh-environment robots. You'll join a lean, highly technical team designing electro-mechanical assemblies that operate in high-temperature, corrosive, and water-heavy conditions, delivering precision and reliability at scale. Your work will directly influence the robustness and performance of next-generation autonomous ground vehicles.

What You'll Do

• Own complex mechanical systems through all stages of product maturity, from concept to field deployment.
• Design innovative solutions given system requirements, producing 3D CAD models and proof-of-concepts.
• Drive rapid concept validation and critical learnings through fast iteration; build test platforms when it's faster.
• Conduct analyses to ensure designs meet strength, reliability, and assembly requirements.
• Lead and participate in design reviews and issue triages with cross-disciplinary engineers.
• Generate assembly layouts and detailed engineering drawings using GD&T concepts.
• Collaborate with suppliers and manufacturers to ensure parts are well-produced.
• Develop and execute testing plans; perform root cause analysis on failures in development and deployment.
• Design and build jigs, test fixtures, and tools as required.
• Assemble systems to test performance, integration, and robot manufacturing.
• Document design justifications, analyses, test results, and recommendations.
• Communicate with end users to clarify requirements and guide feature direction.

What We're Looking For

• Required: Proficiency with SolidWorks and ANSYS for mechanical design and finite element analysis.
• Required: Proven track record of leading, building, testing, and troubleshooting mechanical systems with strong ownership and decision-making.
• Required: Experience with prototyping and hardware testing in lab or manufacturing environments.
• Required: Hands-on experience building robots.
• Required: Experience designing mechanical systems for high-temperature, corrosive, or water-heavy environments.
• Solid engineering fundamentals with a strong educational background or experience at engineering-intensive organizations (e.g. aerospace, defense, research labs).
• Ability to own the end-to-end product lifecycle from concept through production and field deployment.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills with engineering, manufacturing, and QA teams.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $90,000 – $150,000 USD annually, depending on experience.
• Visa sponsorship available.

Location

This is a full-time, on-site role based in Austin, TX, United States.