Lead Motor Design & Prototyping Engineer

Precision Labs; San Francisco, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenAI is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer in San Francisco to lead motor mechanical designs and prototype hardware for advanced robotic systems. You will own stator and rotor development from concept through validation, partnering with electromagnetic, electrical, test, and manufacturing teams to balance performance and buildability.

This role is based in San Francisco, requiring in-person presence four days a week and driving low-volume production, tooling, and validation practices for

Qualifications

• Experience designing and building motors, actuators, or precision electromechanical assemblies.
• Experience with lamination stacks, bobbins, winding, insulation interfaces, or small-component assembly.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD, manufacturing drawings, tolerance analysis, fixture design, with metrology.
• Experience turning initial builds into repeatable low-volume processes.
• Interest in using AI to reduce repetitive design and prototype work.

Responsibilities

• Own stator and rotor mechanical designs and released CAD and drawings.
• Develop laminations, stack assemblies, bobbins, and winding interfaces.
• Design, fabricate, and debug fixtures for winding, stacking, assembly, alignment.
• Build and troubleshoot prototypes and improve designs based on measurements.
• Establish low-volume prototype production with traceability and acceptance checks.
• Test new manufacturing methods and winding approaches for balance of performance.

Skills

Motor design

Lamination stacks

Bobbins winding

Fixture design

3D CAD

Metrology

Tools

Machining

Additive manufacturing

Bonding

Job description

OpenAI is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer in San Francisco to lead motor mechanical designs and prototype hardware for advanced robotic systems. You will own stator and rotor development from concept through validation, partnering with electromagnetic, electrical, test, and manufacturing teams to balance performance and buildability.

This role is based in San Francisco, requiring in-person presence four days a week and driving low-volume production, tooling, and validation practices for