Senior Mechanical Engineer

The role

You will own a core mechanical subsystem end to end from first principles to deployed hardware. This includes design, hand calcs, FEA, fabrication, assembly, and validation of precision motion and structural components.

What you will do

• Own a core mechanical subsystem end to end: design, hand calcs, FEA, fabrication, assembly, and validation
• Own precision motion and structural design: linear stages, actuators, bearings, and drivetrains
• Drive design decisions with first-principles analysis and trade studies
• Leverage in-house machine shop and technician team to manufacture designs
• Integrate with controls, firmware, and software at the system level

Required qualifications

• 5+ years designing precision electromechanical systems that shipped or were deployed
• Deep competence in structural and precision design: ball screws, rack-and-pinion, bearings, kinematic constraint, and tolerance stack-ups
• Strong FEA and hand-calc fluency
• Track record owning subsystems end-to-end at a fast-moving hardware company (robotics, aerospace, automotive, or similar)
• Comfort with ambiguity and a strong build-and-test instinct
• Hands-on machining experience
• Able to work on-site in San Francisco 5 days/week (6 days/week if needed during crunch time)

Nice to have

• Experience at a robotics, aerospace, or automotive company shipping precision hardware
• Experience taking a subsystem from clean-sheet concept through deployment in the field
• Comfort using AI tools to multiply your own output

About the company

Gradient builds the autonomous robots that make datacenter buildout possible. They are partnered with the world's largest AI infrastructure companies.