Lead Hardware Design Engineer

Hardware FYI; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Somana is seeking a Lead Hardware Design Engineer for Compute to own the design strategy and end-to-end execution of a family of compute products. You will lead a small HW/ME team and collaborate with EE and firmware to deliver a cohesive, manufacturable system.

You will own thermal, structural, interconnect, and power aspects, and drive design reviews, supplier selection, and DFM feedback with manufacturing partners in a fast-moving, in-person environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• 5+ years shipping electro-mechanical hardware at volume.
• 2+ years leading mechanical/electrical/firmware teams.
• Experience owning full electro-mechanical systems from concept to volume production.
• Experience shipping compute hardware at scale and transitioning to factory production.
• Background in high-margin, high-power, thermally challenging domains.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute mechanical design strategy for a family of compute hardware products from prototype to high-volume production.
• Own full electro-mechanical architecture: thermal management, structural housing, interconnect, power distribution.
• Internalize proven assemblies and productize them for manufacturability, cost, reliability, and scale.
• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of mechanical engineers and grow design processes.
• Serve as primary technical interface with electrical and firmware teams to resolve constraints as a unified system.
• Represent compute hardware in customer/vendor meetings and translate field feedback into design improvements.
• Drive vendor and manufacturing partner selection, DFM/DFA reviews, and production issue resolution.
• Establish design standards, documentation practices, and review processes for fast-moving hardware.

Skills

Mechanical design

Team leadership

Electro-mechanical systems

CAD/Simulation tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Fusion 360

Job description

Somana is a generative robotics company. We founded the company because the incredible advances in the modeling layer have no way to access a fragmented physical world. We're building the connective tissue that brings physical AI into the industrial world.

Somana is a hardware, software, and services platform powering rapid improvements in capacity, throughput, yield, and quality. Our compute platform talks to hundreds of peripherals, living on factory floors and has capabilities that compound after every run - which means the mechanical systems that house, cool, protect, and connect them are as critical as the silicon itself.

ROLE OVERVIEW

As Lead Hardware Design Engineer for Compute, you will own the design strategy and end-to-end execution for a family of compute products. You will take assemblies that currently exist in the space between "works in the lab" and "works at 100 units," internalize them, and productize them for volume. You will lead a team of two sharp HW+ME engineers today and scale the team as the product line grows. You will also serve as the technical voice with customers when a design decision needs to be explained in person.

This is not a narrow bracket-and-housing role. You will own the full electro-mechanical system - thermal, structural, interconnect, and power - and you will work directly with EE’s and firmware engineers to ensure the compute platform ships as a cohesive product, not a collection of parts.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the mechanical design strategy for a family of compute hardware products from prototype through high-volume production

Own the full electro-mechanical architecture: thermal management, structural housing, electrical interconnect, and power distribution for compute platforms that integrate with hundreds of peripherals and robotic subsystems

Internalize existing proven assemblies and productize them for manufacturability, cost, reliability, and scale

Directly lead, mentor, and manage a team of mechanical engineers. Grow the team and the design processes as the product line expands

Serve as the primary technical interface with internal electrical and firmware engineering teams, ensuring mechanical, electrical, and software constraints are resolved as a unified system

Represent the compute hardware product line in customer and vendor meetings, translating field feedback into design improvements

Drive vendor and manufacturing partner selection, DFM/DFA reviews, and the resolution of production issues in real time

Establish design standards, documentation practices, and review processes appropriate for a team that is moving fast but shipping hardware that has to last

Job Requirements

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or a related engineering discipline

5+ years of professional experience designing and shipping electro-mechanical hardware products at volume

2+ years of experience leading and managing mechanical, electrical, or firmware engineering teams

Demonstrated track record of owning a full electro-mechanical system from concept through volume production, not just individual assemblies or subsystems

Primary experience shipping chip-level or compute hardware at scale, with a clear understanding of what happens when a design moves from DVT to a factory floor building thousands of units

Background in domains where margins, weight, thermal, and power are non-negotiable: wearables, drones, climate tech, robotics, or similar

Deep familiarity with thermal management strategies for compute-heavy systems, including passive, active, and liquid cooling approaches

Proficiency in modern CAD and simulation tools (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or equivalent) and a working knowledge of FEA for structural and thermal analysis

Working knowledge of industrial design principles and a demonstrated ability to collaborate with ID teams to protect the product intent while hitting cost and manufacturability targets

Experience with high-reliability connector selection, cable and harness design, and EMI/thermal co-design with electrical layouts

Direct experience with contract manufacturers, DFM feedback loops, and supply chain negotiation for mechanical components

Comfort working in a high-concentration, fast-moving environment where priorities shift as the product and the company evolve

Willingness to work hands-on with prototypes and production hardware, including in lab, workshop, and field environments

Ability to travel occasionally to manufacturing partners, vendor facilities, and customer sites as the product requires

This is primarily an in-person role with some flexibility