Mechanical Hardware Engineer

Seeing Systems (YC W26); Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Seeing Systems is seeking a hands‑on mechanical engineer to design, build, and test the physical systems around our electronics as a core member of the hardware team.

You’ll own defined subsystems from CAD model to a validated part flying on one of our drones, including airframes, enclosures, mounts, and thermal solutions. This early‑career role offers real responsibility, fast feedback from field tests, and a clear path to broader hardware ownership as the team grows.

Qualifications

• Hands-on mechanical engineering experience (2+ years).
• Strong CAD skills with part from model to manufactured hardware.
• Solid grounding in materials, fasteners, tolerancing, and DFM.
• Proficient in workshop tools: 3D printers and hand tools.
• Willingness to test in real-world field environments.

Responsibilities

• Design mechanical parts and assemblies for defined subsystems under the Founding Hardware Engineer: airframe components, enclosures, mounts, payload interfaces, and ground station hardware.
• Own prototyping and iteration for subsystems: 3D printing, CNC and sheet‑metal parts, fit checks, and rework through fast design cycles.
• Design for the environment: vibration, shock, thermal management, ingress protection, and weight targets on flying platforms.
• Integrate electronics into airframes: packaging, cable routing, connector placement, and serviceability with the electrical team.
• Build and maintain aircraft: assembly, repairs, and configuration control across the test fleet.
• Run test campaigns with the testing lead: prepare aircraft, capture data, log failures, and feed findings back into the next revision.
• Work with manufacturers on quotes, DFM feedback, tolerances, and incoming inspection as we scale production.
• Use AI tools to accelerate design, analysis, and documentation.

Skills

CAD skills

3D printing

CNC machining

Sheet metal

Vibration control

Thermal management

Electrical integration

Tools

SolidWorks

Fusion 360

Job description

About Us

"Seeing Systems is building autonomous drone systems that can perceive, navigate, and act intelligently in complex real-world environments."

We are advancing autonomy through monocular vision, sensor fusion, and robust system design – drones that keep working when traditional systems fail, supported by an agentic stack that reduces operator cognitive load.

Our first product is an FPV-class drone built from the ground up with a modular hardware architecture. If we get the first platform right, we can move fast on everything else: larger airframes, longer range, new payloads, and new mission profiles without rebuilding the stack each time.

We were founded by brothers Matthew and Alexander Le Maitre. Matthew is a former Jane Street engineer and Cambridge CS graduate with a background in autonomous systems research. Alexander is a self‑taught hardware engineer who has been building unmanned systems and military‑grade electronics.

We're an early‑stage, fast‑moving team working at the intersection of robotics, perception, and real‑world deployment. We iterate weekly. We test in real environments.

The Role

You will design, build, and test the physical systems around our electronics as a core member of our growing hardware team.

That means hands‑on mechanical engineering work across our aircraft and ground stations: airframes, enclosures, mounts, thermal solutions, payload integration, and packaging. You'll take ownership of defined subsystems and see them through from CAD model to a validated part on a flying aircraft.

You will report to our Founding Hardware Engineer and work closely with Alex, our co‑founder and hardware lead. This is a role for an engineer early in their career who wants to grow fast: you'll be given real responsibility, real deadlines, and real feedback from the field, with senior engineers beside you at the bench.

Within 30 days: you've designed, prototyped, and fitted a part flying on one of our platforms and joined a field test. Within 90 days: you've taken a mechanical subsystem from CAD through prototyping to a validated revision flying on one of our drones.

What You’ll Do

• Design mechanical parts and assemblies for defined subsystems under the direction of the Founding Hardware Engineer: airframe components, enclosures, mounts, payload interfaces, and ground station hardware.


• Own prototyping and iteration for your subsystems: 3D printing, CNC and sheet‑metal parts, fit checks, and rework through fast design cycles.


• Design for the environment: vibration, shock, thermal management, ingress protection, and weight targets on flying platforms.


• Integrate electronics into airframes: packaging, cable routing, connector placement, and serviceability, working closely with the electrical team.


• Build and maintain aircraft: assembly, repairs, and configuration control across our test fleet.


• Run test campaigns with our testing lead: prepare aircraft, capture data, log failures, and feed findings back into the next revision.


• Work with manufacturers on quotes, DFM feedback, tolerances, and incoming inspection as we scale production.


• Use AI tools to accelerate design, analysis, and documentation.

What We’re Looking For

• Minimum 2 years of hands‑on mechanical engineering experience (professional, or a genuinely equivalent portfolio of shipped personal projects).


• Strong CAD skills in SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar – you've taken at least one part from model to manufactured, working hardware.


• Solid grounding in materials, fastening, tolerancing, and design for manufacture.


• Confident in the workshop: 3D printers, hand tools, and methodical fault‑finding on physical assemblies.


• Comfortable with the gap between "works on the bench" and "works at range in the field.


• Bias toward shipping.


• Comfortable getting outside and testing in the real world with us.

Nice to Have

• Defence, aerospace, or UAV industry experience.


• Personal experience building and flying drones, robots, or other unmanned systems.


• Composites experience (carbon fibre layup, moulding, or repair).


• FEA or thermal simulation experience.


• Experience with injection moulding or other volume manufacturing processes.


• Basic electronics literacy (soldering, harnessing, reading schematics).


• Early‑stage startup experience.

Why Join

• Real ownership of subsystems from day one, with senior engineers invested in your growth.


• Fast iteration: hardware in operators' hands in months, not years.


• Small, high‑agency team with a direct line from idea to field test.


• Real deployment pressure, real feedback, real learning.


• A clear path to grow into broader hardware ownership as the team scales.


• Snack of choice stocked in the workshop.