Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

What to Expect

You will own the end-to-end mechanical design of new robotic humanoid hand/end-effector designs for Deft’s next generation wheeled humanoid robot, cooperating with and reporting directly to the CEO.

What you'll do

• Design, prototype, and iterate on multi-DOF hand mechanisms including finger linkages, joint assemblies, and palm structures, optimizing for compactness, weight, payload, and cost.
• Select and integrate actuators (miniature BLDC motors, servos, or tendon-driven systems) and transmission elements (geartrains, pulleys, cable routing) to achieve reliable grasping and basic manipulation.
• Perform structural FEA, tolerance stack-ups, and GD&T for all hand components, and release detailed drawings for machining, 3D printing, and injection molding.
• Drive rapid design-build-test cycles - you'll be in the lab as much as at your desk, assembling prototypes, running tests, and feeding results back into the next revision.
• Collaborate closely with electrical engineering on sensor placement, cable management, and thermal constraints, and with the software team on joint kinematics and control interfaces.
• Manage suppliers to execute projects according to the design specifications and tight timelines.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics or equivalent degree.
• 3+ years of experience designing complex electromechanical assemblies, with at least some work on robotic actuators, mechanisms, or precision mechanisms.
• Track record of taking a complex electromechanical product from concept to production
• High proficiency in designing parts and assemblies using 3D modeling software (CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, Onshape).
• High proficiency in GD&T engineering drawings and conducting tolerance stack-up analysis.
• DFMEA.
• Hands-on prototyping experience.
• Experience with designing for fabrication methods of low volume manufacturing and high volume manufacturing.
• Basic understanding of electrical and thermal design fundamentals.
• Familiarity with PCBAs and electronics packaging.
• Familiarity with the interdependencies between electronics, mechanics and embedded software.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in unstructured and high-pressure environments.
• Understanding of how to balance development speed versus product quality.
• Problem solving skills via first principles thinking.
• Growth mindset: curious and hungry to grow.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in heat transfer and experience in transient thermal analysis.
• Python/Matlab knowledge, both in data structure management, UI development, symbolic equations, and iterative solvers.

Benefits

• Medical, dental & vision plans ($0 payroll deduction)
• Daily meals stipend

Benefits

Expected Compensation $120,000 - $250,000 annually + equity + benefits:

• The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
• The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role.
• This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.