Mechanical Engineer – Robotics & Automation

Location: San Francisco, CA — SoMa

Work Arrangement: 100% onsite

Employment Type: Full-time

Base Salary: $110,000–$200,000 annually

Equity: Competitive equity

Relocation: Benefits available

About The Opportunity

Lovefreedom Solution Workforce is recruiting Mechanical Engineers on behalf of an innovative company combining artificial intelligence, robotics, and biology to accelerate life science research.

The team is developing robotic systems that operate scientific instruments and support autonomous experimentation. This opportunity offers hands-on ownership of hardware that helps automate complex laboratory workflows.

Position Overview

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will design, prototype, test, and implement hardware for flexible and reliable robotic automation. You will develop solutions that enable robots to manipulate laboratory tools and instruments originally designed for human use.

We are seeking engineers who have taken physical hardware from design through manufacturing and thrive in small teams where responsibilities span multiple disciplines.

Key Responsibilities

• Own mechanical hardware development from initial concept through prototyping, validation, and manufacturing.
• Create detailed CAD models, accurate engineering drawings, and assembly documentation.
• Design, fabricate, assemble, test, and refine hardware prototypes.
• Analyze and validate mechanical systems to improve functionality, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Develop robotic mechanisms and interfaces that manipulate and operate laboratory equipment.
• Select materials and manufacturing methods appropriate to performance requirements and production needs.
• Troubleshoot mechanical issues through hands-on testing, debugging, and root-cause analysis.
• Collaborate across mechanical engineering, robotics, software, and scientific teams.
• Use rapid prototyping methods to evaluate design options and resolve technical challenges.
• Adapt designs and priorities as customer workflows and technical requirements evolve.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• 1–7 years of hands-on mechanical design experience following graduation.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering physical hardware to manufacturing, with ownership extending beyond conceptual design or CAD support.
• Experience working on a small team or at an early-stage company.
• Proficiency in a professional CAD package.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes, material selection, and design for manufacturability.
• Strong mechanical intuition and hands-on assembly, troubleshooting, and hardware debugging skills.
• Experience spanning more than one product domain or component family.
• Participation in engineering project teams during school or comparable collaborative, hands-on engineering experience.
• Familiarity with rapid prototyping tools and techniques.
• Ability to work across disciplines and adapt to changing responsibilities.
• Availability to work onsite in San Francisco five days per week.
• A technical portfolio covering multiple projects, including written explanations, provided before the hiring manager interview.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing product lifecycle management (PLM) or document control systems.
• Background in mechatronics or circuit design.
• Knowledge of robotics, motion control, cameras, or force/torque sensors.
• Experience with robotic arm manipulators.
• Experience deploying robotics in laboratory or manufacturing environments.
• Experience writing code for robotic systems.
  
  

What Success Looks Like

You combine sound engineering judgment with practical execution. You can move quickly from a problem to a working prototype, explain design tradeoffs, and refine hardware based on testing. You take ownership of the details—from material selection and drawings to assembly and manufacturing—and collaborate effectively when challenges cross disciplinary boundaries.

Compensation And Benefits

• Annual base salary of $110,000–$200,000.
• Competitive equity.
• 401(k) plan.
• Medical and dental insurance.
• Relocation benefits.
• Unlimited paid time off.
• Weekday dinners.
  
  

Work Location and Immigration Consideration

This position requires full-time, onsite work in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood. Relocation benefits are available.

Candidates with existing work authorization, including OPT, and those seeking an H-1B transfer may be considered. Eligibility and any required employer support will be reviewed individually.

Application Requirements

Please submit your resume and a technical portfolio demonstrating multiple hands-on engineering projects. Include written explanations of the problem, your individual contribution, design decisions, manufacturing methods, testing, and results.

Your portfolio should clearly demonstrate hardware you personally designed and built, including examples that progressed to manufacturing. A portfolio is required before the hiring manager interview.

Equal Opportunity

Our client is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to characteristics protected by applicable law. Candidates from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in technology are encouraged to apply.

Right to Represent

By submitting your application, you authorize Lovefreedom Solution Workforce to represent your candidacy and present your qualifications to its client for the Mechanical Engineer – Robotics & Automation position, subject to disclosure of the client’s identity and verification that no prior application or representation exists for this specific opportunity.

Skills: ownership,robotics,prototyping,design,assembly,application,cad,relocation,automation,manufacturing