Founding Mechanical Engineer

About the company We're an early-stage robotics startup building aerial robots that perform physical maintenance tasks in the field - work that today requires sending skilled crews to remote or hazardous sites. We're pre-seed, assembling our founding team, and moving fast toward our first paying pilot with a utility customer. About the role We're looking for a founding mechanical engineer to own the physical design of our robotic platform end to end - airframe, actuation, and the mechanisms that let the system physically interact with its environment. You'll work closely with the CEO (hardware background) and CTO (software/autonomy background) to take the platform from prototype to field-ready. What you'll do

• Design and iterate on airframe structure, actuator integration, and end-effector mechanisms
• Own DFM/DFA decisions as we move from prototype to small-batch production
• Run structural, thermal, and environmental analysis to validate designs for field conditions
• Source and manage relationships with fabrication and manufacturing vendors
• Collaborate with electrical and controls engineers to integrate sensors, wiring, and compute

What we're seeking Must have

• 5+ years mechanical engineering experience, ideally on robotics, aerospace, or field hardware
• Hands-on CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar) and experience taking designs from concept to physical prototype
• Experience designing for harsh/outdoor operating environments
• Comfortable working in a small team where you'll do design, prototyping, and testing yourself

Nice to have

• Experience with actuated/robotic arms or manipulators
• Background in drone, aerospace, or other weight-constrained platform design
• Experience with rapid prototyping (3D printing, machining) in-house
• Experience designing hardware for grid, utility, or other critical infrastructure environments