Director of Robotic Hardware & Product Design

Lyte AI; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary & Equity

Healthcare coverage

401(k)

Flexible vacation

Job summary

Lyte AI is seeking a Director/VP of Mechanical Engineering & Product Design to lead the architecture, integration, and delivery of robotic hardware platforms. You will own end-to-end integration of subsystems, including mechanical structures, perception hardware, actuators, thermal systems, optics, and embedded electronics into robust, manufacturable products.

You will collaborate with AI, perception, electrical, and manufacturing teams to ensure hardware enables world-class autonomy and

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience developing and shipping complex hardware systems
• 5+ years in engineering leadership
• Experience delivering robotics or automotive hardware from concept to production
• Deep expertise in system integration across mechanical, sensing, thermal, and embedded systems
• Experience with hardware development reviews (PDR, CDR, Build Readiness)
• Hands-on with 3D CAD tools and tolerance analysis

Responsibilities

• Lead system-level architecture, design and integration for robotic platforms across mechanical, optical, sensing, thermal, actuation, and embedded systems
• Own requirements decomposition, subsystem interfaces & ERS across hardware stack
• Drive system validation & verification including test plans and production qualification
• Lead engineering reviews (PDR/CDR/Build Readiness) and ensure manufacturability
• Translate autonomy and sensing requirements into hardware specs and system constraints
• Lead FMEA, risk analysis and mitigation for reliability, safety, performance
• Drive rapid prototyping and hardware iteration cycles
• Oversee opto-mechanical integration for perception systems (cameras, LiDAR, IMUs)
• Ensure structural integrity, thermal performance, ingress protection, and cable management
• Lead DFM/DFA/DFT initiatives and simulation workflows (FEA, CFD)
• Manage NPI from EVT to mass production with Tier-1 and contract manufacturers
• Drive cost, manufacturability, and platform commonality across hardware portfolio
• Build and lead a high-performing mechanical, systems integration, and product design team

Skills

Leadership experience

System integration

3D CAD

V&V

Team building

Hardware architecture

Education

Bachelors/Masters/PhD in Mechanical Engineering or related

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

CATIA

Creo

FEA

CFD

Job description

Lyte AI is seeking a Director/VP of Mechanical Engineering & Product Design to lead the architecture, integration, and delivery of robotic hardware platforms. You will own end-to-end integration of subsystems, including mechanical structures, perception hardware, actuators, thermal systems, optics, and embedded electronics into robust, manufacturable products.

You will collaborate with AI, perception, electrical, and manufacturing teams to ensure hardware enables world-class autonomy and