Mechanical Engineer – Robotics Hardware

FieldAI is transforming how robots interact with the real world by building risk-aware, reliable AI systems. As a Mechanical Engineer on the Hardware Team, you will be responsible for designing and implementing mechanical systems that support sensing and compute platforms in challenging environments. Responsibilities Mechanical System Design Structures: Design and model mechanical structures including external enclosures, internal compute frames, and load-bearing chassis Mounts: Design and validate robust sensor mounts, payload attachment points, and mechanical interfaces Ingress Protection: Implement IP-rated solutions with gaskets, seals, membranes, and coatings to meet water/dust ingress standards Thermal Management: Incorporate thermal mitigation strategies such as fans, heat sinks, conductive paths, and airflow guides Mass & Volume Budgets: Ensure adherence to payload constraints, including tight volumetric envelopes and weight limitations Mechanical System Implementation CAD & Simulation: Build detailed SolidWorks CAD assemblies. Run FEA and thermal simulations to validate strength, durability, and heat dissipation Material & Component Selection: Choose materials and components to meet mass, strength, thermal, and manufacturability constraints. Design for Production: Apply DFM, DFA, DFS principles throughout the design lifecycle System Testing: Conduct mechanical load testing (shock, vibration), thermal validation, ingress tests, and sensor alignment assessments Prototyping: Rapidly iterate on prototypes for fit checks, thermal evaluations, and integration trials Documentation & Budgets: Generate mechanical drawings, GD&T annotations, BOMs, and assembly instructions for fabrication and QA. Manage weight, volume, and thermal budgets Mechanical System Production & Servicing Build: Work with vendors and contract manufacturers to procure mechanical hardware. Develop QA checks for incoming units. Support payload integration and scaling Debug: Investigate mechanical failures, deformation, and environmental weaknesses during testing and deployments Monitor: Develop protocols for monitoring the system mechanical health and loads Skills B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field Proficient with SolidWorks or equivalent mechanical CAD platforms Familiarity with FEA and thermal modeling tools Experience designing hardware that survives vibration, shock, thermal cycling, and environmental exposure Experience designing for CNC, sheet metal, additive manufacturing, and assembly workflows Experience working across teams to integrate mechanical systems with compute, sensors, and power electronics Comfort with mechanical debugging, thermal test setups, vibration tables, and ingress testing Ability to contribute electrical, sensing, and embedded computing work to deliver robust integrated systems Experience taking systems from prototype to large scale production Experience developing systems for harsh field environments Experience working on robotics deployed in real world settings such as autonomous vehicles, drones, or ruggedized robots Fluency across mechanical, electrical, and software systems Experience designing to meet IP ratings, MIL-STD, or equivalent ruggedness standards Company Overview FieldAI is pioneering the development of a field-proven, hardware agnostic brain technology that enables many different types of robots to operate autonomously in hazardous, offroad, and potentially harsh industrial settings – all without GPS, maps, or any pre-programmed routes. It was founded in 2023, and is headquartered in Mission Viejo, California, USA, with a workforce of 11-50 employees. Its website is Company H1B Sponsorship FieldAI has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 9 in 2025. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.