Field Robotics Mechanical Engineer – End-to-End Hardware

ETH Zurich; Zürich; On-site; CHF 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

ETH Zurich’s Way of Water project seeks an early‑career project staff member to own mechanical hardware for autonomous surface robots. You will shape the platform, from structure to seals, with hands‑on building, testing outdoors, and iterative improvements driven by field lessons.

The role emphasizes practical engineering, collaboration with electronics and software, and strong documentation to enable rapid team scaling in a funded project.

Qualifications

• Degree in mechanical engineering or related field with hands-on hardware experience.
• Experience taking hardware from concept to tested object and prototypes.
• Ability to design for manufacture, sealing, assembly and service in mind.

Responsibilities

• Own the physical robot: structure, mechanisms, enclosures, mounts and buildability.
• Design with manufacture, assembly, sealing and service in mind and prove with prototypes.
• Collaborate with electronics and software on space, heat, cables, and water exposure.
• Coordinate with workshops, suppliers and technicians to turn drawings into assemblies.
• Document models, revisions and build notes for future teams.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Mechatronics

Robotics

Hardware integration

CAD judgement

Prototyping

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related field

Tools

CAD software

Job description

ETH Zurich’s Way of Water project seeks an early‑career project staff member to own mechanical hardware for autonomous surface robots. You will shape the platform, from structure to seals, with hands‑on building, testing outdoors, and iterative improvements driven by field lessons.

The role emphasizes practical engineering, collaboration with electronics and software, and strong documentation to enable rapid team scaling in a funded project.