Mechanical Engineer

Clera; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Visa sponsorship available

Job summary

Clera, a lean robotics startup in Austin, TX, seeks a Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical systems of harsh-environment autonomous ground robots. You’ll influence robustness from concept through production and deployment, working on systems that endure high temperature, corrosive, and water-heavy environments.

Join a small team with backgrounds in aerospace and advanced manufacturing, collaborating with suppliers and end users to guide feature direction and ensure manufacturability.

Qualifications

• Solid foundation in engineering with rigorous training or equivalent experience.
• Hands-on experience building robots, assembling and testing robotic systems.
• Experience owning full product lifecycle from concept to field deployment.
• Ability to design mechanical systems for high-temperature, corrosive, or water-heavy environments.
• Proficiency with SolidWorks and ANSYS for CAD/FEA, plus GD&T drawings.
• Experience creating and approving manufacturing drawings with GD&T annotations.

Responsibilities

• Own electro-mechanical systems end-to-end across development stages.
• Create 3D CAD models and proof-of-concepts.
• Validate concepts quickly with iterations and build test platforms.
• Perform strength, reliability, and assembly analyses to meet requirements.
• Lead design reviews and triage issues with cross-disciplinary engineers.
• Produce assembly layouts and detailed drawings with GD&T.

Skills

Robotics building

Mechanical design

Root cause analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

Engineering degree or equivalent

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS

GD&T

Job description

About the Role

A lean, venture-backed robotics startup focused on autonomous ground robots for emergency response, industrial operations, and defense is hiring a Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical systems of its harsh-environment platforms. These robots are engineered to operate where humans cannot — navigating extreme terrains and surviving conditions including high temperatures, corrosive environments, and water-heavy settings.

You'll join a small, highly capable engineering team (with backgrounds spanning aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing) and have direct influence over the robustness and performance of fielded autonomous systems — from first concept through production and deployment.

Visa sponsorship is available for this role.

What You’ll Do

• Own complex electro-mechanical systems end-to-end through all stages of product maturity.

• Design innovative solutions given system requirements, producing 3D CAD models and proof-of-concepts.

• Drive rapid concept validation and critical learnings through fast iteration; build test platforms when it's the fastest path to answers.

• Conduct analyses (strength, reliability, assembly) to ensure designs meet requirements.

• Lead and participate in design reviews and issue triages with cross-disciplinary engineers.

• Generate assembly layouts and detailed engineering drawings using GD&T concepts.

• Collaborate with suppliers and manufacturers to ensure part producibility and quality.

• Develop and execute testing plans; perform root cause analysis on failures in development and deployment.

• Design and build jigs, test fixtures, and tooling as needed.

• Assemble systems to test performance, integration, and manufacturing processes.

• Document design justifications, analyses, test results, and recommendations for traceability.

• Communicate with end users to clarify requirements and guide feature direction.

What We’re Looking For

Required:

• Solid engineering fundamentals backed by a strong educational background or experience at engineering-rigorous organizations.

• Hands‑on experience building robots — you've designed, assembled, and tested robotic systems.

• Proven ability to own the full product lifecycle from concept through field deployment.

• Experience designing mechanical systems for high-temperature, corrosive, or water-heavy environments.

• Proficiency with SolidWorks (CAD) and ANSYS (FEA).

• Experience generating and approving manufacturing drawings with GD&T annotations to industry standards.

• Experience designing and building jigs, test fixtures, and tooling.

• Proven track record of performing root cause analysis on mechanical failures and driving corrective actions.

• Experience collaborating with suppliers and manufacturers on part producibility and quality.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable engaging directly with users and customers.

• Willingness to work on‑site in Austin, Texas.

Nice to Have:

• 2–8 years of relevant mechanical engineering experience.

• Background in aerospace, defense, or advanced manufacturing environments.

• Experience with prototyping and hardware testing in lab or manufacturing settings.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $90,000 – $150,000 USD annually, depending on experience.

• Visa sponsorship available.

Location

This is a full‑time, on‑site role based in Austin, Texas, United States. Remote work is not available for this position.