Mechanical CAD & Prototyping Technician

HireArt; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k package

Life insurance & disability coverage

Job summary

HireArt is seeking a Mechanical CAD & Prototyping Technician to build, maintain, and custom-engineer hardware and data collection setups for robotics operations in our San Francisco lab.

You will design, fabricate, assemble, and troubleshoot mechanical parts and fixtures, while keeping detailed documentation and BOMs. This role is onsite, full-time for 6 months, with a strong hands-on focus.

Qualifications

• Proven experience modeling parts/fixtures in CAD and releasing BOMs.
• Hands-on experience with CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet metal, or shop tools.
• Experience operating 3D printers and related post-processing.
• Experience assembling mechanical systems with fasteners and cable management.
• Practical electronics experience (soldering, crimping, connectors, multimeter).
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work safely around robotics equipment.
• Available to work 100% onsite in San Francisco, Mon-Fri 9:00–18:00.

Responsibilities

• CAD design and release of mechanical parts, fixtures, jigs, brackets, and test assemblies.
• Optimize geometries for in-house 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal, and small-batch fabrication.
• Assemble, configure, and maintain data collection stations (robot arms, cameras, sensors).
• Prototype and in-house fabrication using 3D printers and related tools.
• Diagnose and fix hardware issues during collection shifts.
• Maintain logs and perform preventive maintenance on robotics setups.
• Manage inventory of spare parts and enforce lab safety SOPs.

Skills

CAD Design

3D Printing

Electrical & Electronics

Troubleshooting

Soldering & Harnesses

Documentation

Lab Safety

Tools

SolidWorks

Fusion 360

Onshape

Creo

Siemens NX

CNC Machining

3D Printers

Job description

HireArt is helping our client find a Mechanical CAD & Prototyping Technician to build, maintain, and custom-engineer the physical hardware, fixtures, and data collection setups used in robotics operations.

In this role, you'll act as a generalist mechanical CAD designer and fabricator. You will keep data collection stations operational across a wide range of systems—including robot arms, teleoperation devices, VR headsets, cameras, motion-capture sensors, compute nodes, and custom-fabricated mounts. You will operate in-house 3D printers and fabrication tools to produce build-ready prototypes, perform preventive maintenance, and document lab processes to keep contractor workstations fully functional.

The ideal candidate has experience designing custom mechanical parts and fixtures and taking them from CAD through fabrication and physical build. You are comfortable working hands-on with 3D printing, mechanical assembly, and hardware troubleshooting to support a wide range of robotics systems and data collection setups.

As a Mechanical CAD & Prototyping Technician, you'll:

• CAD Design & Release: Design mechanical parts, custom fixtures, jigs, brackets, and test assemblies in CAD; create 2D engineering drawings and managing BOMs through physical release.
• Design for Manufacturability (DFM): Optimize part geometries specifically for in-house 3D printing (FDM/SLA/SLS), CNC machining, sheet metal, and small-batch fabrication.
• Station Assembly & Setup: Assembele, configure, and maintain data collection stations (robot arms/manipulators, teleop leader devices, cameras, mocap sensors, cabling, compute).
• Prototyping & In-House Fabrication: Operate, calibrate, and maintain in-house 3D printers and fabrication tools (slicing, material selection, post-processing, and part fitting).
• Live Hardware Troubleshooting: Diagnose and fix hardware issues during collection shifts (sensor dropouts, calibration drift, cable/connector failures, network glitches on teleop links, mechanical wear).
• Station Maintenance & Log Management: Perform scheduled preventive maintenance on robotic setups, triage hardware failures, and keeping detailed equipment logs.
• Inventory & Safety: Manage inventory of spare parts, consumables, and hardware stock while maintaining an organized lab environment and enforcing safety SOPs.

Requirements

• Proven experience modeling parts/fixtures in CAD, generating 2D engineering drawings, and releasing BOMs for physical builds.
• Hands-on experience designing parts that were actually built via CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet metal, or conventional shop tools.
• Direct experience operating and maintaining 3D printers (slicing, material selection, printer calibration, post-processing) alongside general shop tools.
• Experience assembling and disassembling mechanical systems according to specifications or drawings, including fasteners, mounts, and cable management
• Practical electronics experience, including soldering, crimping, harnesses, connectors, and basic multimeter diagnostics.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with the ability to systematically isolate, resolve, and document technical issues
• Comfort with basic computer and software setup, including installing drivers and applications, pairing devices, running Linux terminal scripts, and working with CAD packages (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Onshape, Creo, or Siemens NX).
• Strong organizational skills and commitment to maintaining a safe, orderly lab and inventory
• Ability to lift up to approximately 50 lbs and stand, kneel, and reach for extended periods while working safely around moving robotic equipment
• Must be available to work 100% onsite in San Francisco, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
• Flexible Spending Account for healthcare-related costs
• HireArt covers all costs for short and long-term disability and life insurance
• 401k package

Commitment

This is a full-time, 6-month contract position staffed via HireArt. The role is onsite and available to candidates local to the San Francisco, CA area.

HireArt values diversity and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. Unfortunately, we are not able to sponsor visas or employ corp-to-corp.