Mechanical Engineer, Autonomous Vehicles (Federal)

About the Role

FieldAI is seeking a Mechanical Engineer for its Federal Team in Irvine, California, to support system and component level design, integration, and validation for wheeled robotic platforms. This role is critical for ensuring systems operate reliably in demanding, real-world environments through tight integration of hardware and software.

Key Responsibilities

• Mechanical System Design

• Design and model mechanical structures including external enclosures, internal compute frames, and load-bearing chassis.

• Design and validate robust sensor mounts, payload attachment points, and mechanical interfaces.

• Implement IP-rated solutions with gaskets, seals, membranes, and coatings for water/dust ingress standards.

• Incorporate thermal mitigation strategies such as fans, heat sinks, conductive paths, and airflow guides.

• Ensure adherence to mass and volume budgets, including tight volumetric envelopes and weight limitations.

• Mechanical System Implementation

• Build detailed SolidWorks CAD assemblies.

• Run FEA and thermal simulations to validate strength, durability, and heat dissipation.

• Select materials and components to meet mass, strength, thermal, and manufacturability constraints.

• Apply DFM, DFA, and DFS principles throughout the design lifecycle.

• Conduct mechanical load testing (shock, vibration), thermal validation, ingress tests, and sensor alignment assessments.

• Rapidly iterate on prototypes for fit checks, thermal evaluations, and integration trials.

• Generate mechanical drawings, GD&T annotations, BOMs, and assembly instructions.

• Manage weight, volume, and thermal budgets.

• Mechanical System Production & Servicing

• Work with vendors and contract manufacturers to procure mechanical hardware.

• Develop QA checks for incoming units.

• Support payload integration and scaling.

• Investigate mechanical failures, deformation, and environmental weaknesses during testing and deployments.

• Develop protocols for monitoring system mechanical health and loads.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• 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 integrating mechanical systems with compute, sensors, and power electronics.
• Comfort with mechanical debugging, thermal test setups, vibration tables, and ingress testing.
• Ability to contribute to electrical, sensing, and embedded computing work.

Qualifications

• Education: B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field.
• Experience Level: Recruiting across a wide range of experience levels.
• Field-Ready Design experience.
• Manufacturing Knowledge.
• Mechanical Systems Integration experience.
• Lab Skills.
• Cross Functional Robotic Skills.

Additional Requirements

• U.S. Person eligibility is required for this position on the FieldAI Federal Team. (U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, lawful permanent residents, refugee or asylee).