Mechanical Design Engineer

Wayve; London (KY); On-site; USD 79,000 - 126,000; Full time

Job summary

Wayve is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design and deliver robust integration solutions for sensors and compute on real-world vehicles. You will take ideas from concept to prototype and into manufacture, owning quality and trade-offs along the way.

This hands-on role requires developing HiLs, jigs, fixtures, and clear build instructions, while collaborating with cross‑functional teams to ensure robust, scalable integration across vehicle platforms.

Qualifications

• 4+ years’ experience in mechanical/design engineering with a portfolio.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks (and SolidWorks PDM), including master model development.
• Experience with common manufacturing processes and design-for-manufacture considerations.
• Strong experience designing/building test jigs, rigs, and fixtures; hands-on in a workshop.
• Strong 2D drawing, BOM management, and understanding of GD&T.
• Experience with FMEA/DFMEA.

Responsibilities

• Design and integrate mechanical solutions for sensors and compute across vehicle platforms.
• Own mechanical design trade-offs (performance, cost, manufacturability, serviceability).
• Develop and build HiLs, test rigs, jigs, and fixtures for validation.
• Produce clear 2D drawings, assemblies, and BOMs; apply GD&T for repeatable builds.
• Partner with supply chain and external suppliers to source parts.
• Collaborate with electronics and other teams to integrate architectures.
• Create build instructions, inspection checklists, and safety/quality docs.

Skills

Mechanical design fundamentals

Prototyping

2D drawing

BOM management

GD&T

FMEA/DFMEA

Tools

SolidWorks

SolidWorks PDM

3D printing

Job description

Before the detail, here's the challenge you'd help us solve.

We build the embodied intelligence that moves real vehicles safely, and the ecosystem a billion machines will run on in the future. Very few people in AI can say this. Every role here, whatever the team, plugs into that.

Here’s what this particular role covers.

The role

As a Mechanical Engineer at Wayve, you’ll design and deliver robust integration solutions for compute and sensors on real-world vehicles—working on programs with some of the world’s leading automotive partners. You’ll take ideas from concept through prototype and into manufacture, owning quality and trade‑offs along the way. This is a hands‑on role with clear impact on how our systems are built, tested, installed, and scaled.

Applicants are required to submit a portfolio showcasing relevant work alongside their resume. Applications without a portfolio may not be considered.

Key responsibilities

• Design and integrate mechanical solutions for sensors and compute across a range of vehicle platforms.

• Own mechanical design trade‑offs (performance, cost, manufacturability, serviceability) while maintaining a high quality bar.

• Develop and build HiLs, test rigs, jigs, and fixtures to support validation and integration.

• Produce clear 2D drawings, assemblies, and BOMs; apply GD&T to ensure repeatable builds.

• Partner with supply chain and external suppliers to source and manufacture parts (sheet metal, machining, vacuum casting, 3D printing, etc.).

• Collaborate cross‑functionally with electronics and other engineering teams to integrate compute/sensor architectures.

• Create build instructions, inspection checklists, and safety/quality documentation; support knowledge transfer to Fleet and field teams.

About you

To set you up for success as a Mechanical Engineer at Wayve, you bring strong mechanical design fundamentals, a pragmatic approach to prototyping, and a track record of delivering high-quality integration work in fast-moving environments.

Essential

• 4+ years’ experience in mechanical/design engineering, with a portfolio of relevant work.

• Proficiency in SolidWorks (and ideally SolidWorks PDM), including master model development and multi‑part assemblies.

• Experience with common manufacturing processes (e.g., sheet metal, machining, vacuum casting, 3D printing) and design‑for‑manufacture considerations.

• Strong experience designing/building test jigs, rigs, and fixtures; comfort working hands‑on in a workshop environment.

• Strong 2D drawing and assembly skills, BOM management, and working knowledge of GD&T.

• Experience using risk assessment methods such as FMEA/DFMEA.

Desirable

• Surface modelling experience.

• Familiarity with aluminium extrusion-based builds.

• Understanding of electronic systems (e.g., voltage basics, harness development, compute selection).

• Hands‑on FDM printing experience.

A quick, honest note before you apply.

Wayve is not a mature, fully-structured place with the playbook already written. Much of how we work is still being written, and if you join, you’ll help write it. That suits people who want real ownership more than people who need a settled structure from day one.

If that sounds like the kind of problem you want to spend your time on, we’d really like to hear from you.