Mechanical Engineer, Dynamometer and Actuator Testing Infrastructure

The role

You will design, build, and own the mechanical side of robotic actuator dynamometer and test infrastructure. This involves creating test stands, couplings, fixtures, and lab hardware to enable characterization of robotic actuators.

What you will do

• Own the mechanical architecture of dynamometer and actuator test cells.
• Design dynamometer structures, robotic actuator fixtures, and torque-reaction hardware.
• Translate actuator test requirements into mechanical systems for various testing types.
• Perform first-principles analysis and simulation for stiffness, strength, and safety.
• Create precise, repeatable alignment strategies.
• Design modular fixturing for rapid changeover.
• Work with electrical engineers on cable routing, enclosures, and cooling.
• Work with software and controls engineers to define mechanical limits and safe operating envelopes.
• Build, assemble, debug, and improve test stands in the lab.
• Develop mechanical safety systems for high-energy rotating equipment.

Required qualifications

• Strong intuition for load paths, stiffness, alignment, and rotating machinery.
• Ability to design precise, robust, and safe fixtures and structures.
• Hands-on experience assembling, aligning, instrumenting, and debugging test equipment.
• Ability to move between analysis, CAD, vendor collaboration, and lab iteration.
• Ability to communicate across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, safety, and operations teams.

Nice to have

• Bachelor’s or graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• Experience designing mechanical systems for robotic actuator dynamometers, robotics, automation, rotating machinery, aerospace, automotive, or similar high-performance hardware.
• Strong understanding of structures, load paths, shafts, bearings, couplings, fasteners, tolerances, alignment, and vibration.
• Experience designing fixtures, test stands, frames, guarding, and precision mechanical interfaces.
• Proficiency with CAD and drawing release workflows; NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent experience is welcome.
• Experience with structural, thermal, fatigue, or modal analysis.
• Hands-on experience with assembly, machining, metrology, alignment, and troubleshooting in a lab or prototype environment.
• Familiarity with mechanical safety for rotating equipment, containment, interlocks, and safe operating envelopes.

About the company

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. The Robotics team focuses on unlocking general-purpose robotics and pushing towards AGI-level intelligence.