FieldAI is transforming how robots interact with the real world by building risk-aware, reliable AI systems. As a Mechanical Engineer on the Hardware Team, you will be responsible for designing and implementing mechanical systems that support sensing and compute platforms in challenging environments.
Responsibilities
- Mechanical System Design
- Structures: Design and model mechanical structures including external enclosures, internal compute frames, and load-bearing chassis
- Mounts: Design and validate robust sensor mounts, payload attachment points, and mechanical interfaces
- Ingress Protection: Implement IP-rated solutions with gaskets, seals, membranes, and coatings to meet water/dust ingress standards
- Thermal Management: Incorporate thermal mitigation strategies such as fans, heat sinks, conductive paths, and airflow guides
- Mass & Volume Budgets: Ensure adherence to payload constraints, including tight volumetric envelopes and weight limitations
- Mechanical System Implementation
- CAD & Simulation: Build detailed SolidWorks CAD assemblies. Run FEA and thermal simulations to validate strength, durability, and heat dissipation
- Material & Component Selection: Choose materials and components to meet mass, strength, thermal, and manufacturability constraints. Design for Production: Apply DFM, DFA, DFS principles throughout the design lifecycle
- System Testing: Conduct mechanical load testing (shock, vibration), thermal validation, ingress tests, and sensor alignment assessments
- Prototyping: Rapidly iterate on prototypes for fit checks, thermal evaluations, and integration trials
- Documentation & Budgets: Generate mechanical drawings, GD&T annotations, BOMs, and assembly instructions for fabrication and QA. Manage weight, volume, and thermal budgets
- Mechanical System Production & Servicing
- Build: Work with vendors and contract manufacturers to procure mechanical hardware. Develop QA checks for incoming units. Support payload integration and scaling
- Debug: Investigate mechanical failures, deformation, and environmental weaknesses during testing and deployments
- Monitor: 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
- 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
Company Overview
FieldAI is pioneering the development of a field-proven, hardware agnostic brain technology that enables many different types of robots to operate autonomously in hazardous, offroad, and potentially harsh industrial settings – all without GPS, maps, or any pre-programmed routes. It was founded in 2023, and is headquartered in Mission Viejo, California, USA, with a workforce of 11-50 employees. Its website is https://www.fieldai.com.Company H1B Sponsorship
FieldAI has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 9 in 2025. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.
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