Senior Mechanical Engineer — Actuation
$213,000–$284,000 year
On-siteCambridge, Massachusetts, United States or Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
Job Summary
Design and deliver mechanical components and assemblies across the robot, including structures, mechanisms, brackets, covers, sensor mounts, and electronics packaging. Validate designs using hand calculations, FEA, tolerance analysis, and material and manufacturing process selection. Create production-quality CAD, drawings, and BOMs, applying GD&T and supporting DFM/DFA with suppliers and manufacturing. Build and test prototypes, support robot assembly and integration, and troubleshoot mechanical issues. Partner with electrical, controls, firmware, manufacturing, and robot build teams to resolve interfaces and improve performance, reliability, and serviceability. Own defined components and small assemblies from concept through prototyping, testing, and release, working closely with senior engineers and cross-functional partners.
Required Qualifications
- BS in Mechanical Engineering or a related field and 3+ years of relevant design experience, or an MS and with relevant hands-on experience
- Strong mechanical design fundamentals, including structures, mechanisms, fasteners, materials, tolerances, and load paths
- Proficiency with 3D CAD such as SolidWorks, CATIA, or NX, as well as engineering drawings and GD&T
- Hands-on experience prototyping, assembling, testing, and troubleshooting mechanical or electromechanical hardware
- Strong communication, ownership, and ability to work effectively in a cross-functional environment
- Must be able to lift 50 lbs
Desired Qualifications
- Direct experience with robotic systems, preferably humanoid and/or manipulation robots
- Experience designing high-torque-density actuators with frameless/BLDC motor integration
- Experience with custom gearbox design (planetary and harmonic or cycloidal drives), experience with gear analysis tools such as KISSsoft or similar software and high-volume manufacturing of precision mechanical components
- Direct experience with robotic systems, preferably humanoid and/or manipulation robots
- Experience designing high-torque-density actuators with frameless/BLDC motor integration
- Experience with custom gearbox design (planetary and harmonic or cycloidal drives) and high-volume manufacturing of precision mechanical components
- Experience with integrated position/torque sensing (absolute encoders, strain-gauge or magnetic torque sensors) and how sensor placement affects mechanical design and control loop performance
- Experience with bearing selection and preload/stiffness analysis for compact, high-stiffness joints (cross-roller, four-point contact, angular contact bearings)
- Experience characterizing backlash and joint compliance to support controls tuning, understanding how mechanical tolerance stack-up affects closed-loop performance
- Experience with Hertzian contact stress and gear tooth bending fatigue analysis
- Experience with thermal design and motor cooling for frameless BLDC integration in sealed or space-constrained housings
- Track record taking an actuator from prototype through DFM iteration to production release, including supplier tolerance capability assessment
- Experience with lubrication and sealing selection (grease life, IP rating) for joints exposed to duty cycles
- Familiarity with functional safety standards relevant to powered joints (ISO 13849, IEC 61800-5-2)
- Experience designing for serviceability and field-replaceability of actuator modules
- Experience mentoring junior engineers or driving design reviews across a subsystem
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