Mechanical Engineer

About the Role A lean, venture-backed robotics startup operating in the defense, emergency response, and industrial sectors is looking for a Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical systems of their next-generation autonomous ground robots. You'll be joining a small, high-caliber team — with roots at organizations like NASA, Lockheed Martin, and Southwest Research Institute — building platforms engineered to operate in the most demanding environments on earth: extreme heat, corrosive conditions, hazardous atmospheres, and complex terrain. This is a hands-on, ownership-heavy role that spans concept through production and field deployment. You'll design, build, test, and iterate on electro-mechanical assemblies that need to perform with precision and reliability at scale. Visa sponsorship is available for this position. 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 quicker than waiting. Conduct analyses (strength, reliability, assembly) to ensure designs meet 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 part producibility and quality. Develop and execute testing plans; perform root cause analysis on failures in development and deployment. Design and build jigs, test fixtures, and tooling as required. Assemble systems to test performance, integration, and manufacturing processes. Document design justifications, analyses, test results, and recommendations for traceability. Communicate with end users to clarify requirements and guide feature direction. What We're Looking For Required: Strong engineering fundamentals backed by a rigorous academic background or experience at engineering-intensive organizations. Proven track record of leading, building, testing, and troubleshooting mechanical systems — with clear ownership and decisive problem-solving. Prior experience building robots — this is a firm requirement. Experience designing mechanical systems for high-temperature, corrosive, or water-heavy environments. Proficiency with SolidWorks and ANSYS (or equivalent FEA tooling). Experience generating and approving manufacturing drawings with GD&T annotations to industry standards. Experience designing and building jigs, test fixtures, and tooling for mechanical systems. Ability to perform root cause analysis on mechanical failures and drive corrective actions. Experience collaborating with suppliers and manufacturers on part producibility and quality. Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable engaging directly with users and customers to clarify requirements. Willingness to work on-site in Austin, Texas . 2–8 years of relevant mechanical engineering experience. Nice to Have: Experience with defense, aerospace, or industrial automation hardware. Background in prototyping and hardware testing in lab or manufacturing environments. Familiarity with electro-mechanical integration in autonomous or remotely operated systems. Compensation & Benefits Salary: $90,000 – $150,000 USD annually, depending on experience. Equity participation in a well-funded early-stage company. Visa sponsorship available. Location This is a fully on-site role based in Austin, Texas . Candidates must be willing to work on-site full time.