Mechanical Engineer-Federal

Summary

FieldAI is transforming how robots interact with the real world by building reliable AI systems for complex challenges in robotics. They are seeking a Mechanical Engineer to support the design, integration, and validation of mechanical systems for robotic platforms in both federal and commercial programs.

Responsibilities

• Design and model mechanical structures including external enclosures, internal compute frames, and load-bearing chassis
• Design and validate robust sensor mounts, payload attachment points, and mechanical interfaces
• Implement IP-rated solutions with gaskets, seals, membranes, and coatings to meet water/dust ingress standards
• Incorporate thermal mitigation strategies such as fans, heat sinks, conductive paths, and airflow guides
• Ensure adherence to payload constraints, including tight volumetric envelopes and weight limitations
• Build detailed SolidWorks CAD assemblies
• Run FEA and thermal simulations to validate strength, durability, and heat dissipation
• Choose materials and components to meet mass, strength, thermal, and manufacturability constraints
• Apply DFM, DFA, DFS principles throughout the design lifecycle
• Conduct mechanical load testing (shock, vibration), thermal validation, ingress tests, and sensor alignment assessments
• Rapidly iterate on prototypes for fit checks, thermal evaluations, and integration trials
• Generate mechanical drawings, GD&T annotations, BOMs, and assembly instructions for fabrication and QA
• Manage weight, volume, and thermal budgets
• Work with vendors and contract manufacturers to procure mechanical hardware
• Develop QA checks for incoming units
• Support payload integration and scaling
• Investigate mechanical failures, deformation, and environmental weaknesses during testing and deployments
• 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
• We are recruiting across a wide range of experience levels from entry level engineers to senior and staff engineers
• 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

Qualifications

Must Haves

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field
• We are recruiting across a wide range of experience levels from entry level engineers to senior and staff engineers
• 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

Nice to Haves

• 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

Benefits

• Full benefits
• Equity
• Generous time off
• Flexible working hours to support focus and work-life balance