Staff Mechanical Engineer (R&D)

Join Apptronik, a cutting-edge robotics company, as a Staff Mechanical Engineer. In this role, you will lead the rapid development of next-generation robotic systems, turning novel mechanical concepts into working hardware. You will be responsible for full-cycle prototype development, designing and fabricating hardware in-house, planning and executing mechanical experiments, collaborating across engineering disciplines, conceiving novel mechanism architectures, mentoring junior engineers, and maintaining design documentation. The ideal candidate will have 8+ years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience with a strong focus on R&D and prototype development, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience.

• Lead the full-cycle prototype development process, from concept sketch to physical build, with a focus on speed and iteration.
• Design and fabricate hardware in-house, operating machine shop equipment, 3D printers, and fabrication tools to rapidly validate design concepts.
• Plan and execute mechanical experiments, defining test objectives, instrumenting prototypes with sensors, and running structured experiments to validate mechanical behavior.
• Deep proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks, Onshape, or equivalent)
• 8+ years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience with a strong focus on R&D and prototype development
• Proven track record of taking novel mechanical concepts from sketch to functional hardware
• Shop-floor capability: comfortable with machining, 3D printing, sheet metal, and manual fabrication
• Experience with structural and dynamic analysis (FEA, hand calculations, or both)
• Strong mechanical intuition developed through years of building and iterating on physical systems
• Comfort with ambiguity — energized by open-ended problems and fast-changing requirements
• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent experience)
• Preferred: experience on advanced robotics, NASA/DARPA programs, or similar high-bar R&D environments
• 8+ years of experience in R&D-focused mechanical engineering roles