Mechanical Engineer

Socket.dev; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Edgerun is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to own the physical hardware of the exoskeleton platform. You will shepherd components from concept through prototype, field test, and production, focusing on structure, joints, and actuator integration for a compact wearable system.

The role emphasizes hands‑on shop work, working with suppliers, and iterating hardware based on field feedback, with travel for field tests as needed in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• At least 2 years designing parts used in the field.
• Proficiency in CAD and hands‑on fabrication experience.

Responsibilities

• Take parts from concept to working hardware in house and carry through to volume production.
• Own structure, joints, actuator integration, and interfaces with belts and plate carriers.
• Design for 30 Nm through a human hip and for a broad percentile fit; ensure dust, water and cold survival.
• Keep the system modular and field serviceable for quick module swaps.
• Handle design for manufacturing as the product moves toward production.
• Coordinate with suppliers from spec to first articles and field test adaptations.

Skills

CAD proficiency

Hands-on fabrication

Field design experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Edgerun's mission is to remove civilization-level physical constraints limiting the human body. We believe a future where humans keep pushing into the unknown is far better than one where we send machines in our place. That starts on the battlefield, doubling what a soldier can carry and how far they can carry it. Read more about our mission here.

MECHANICAL ENGINEER

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will be responsible for the physical hardware of the world's most advanced powered exoskeleton, worn by soldiers in active combat. You will work with a talented team of accomplished engineers to take parts from concept through prototype, field test, and production, including structure, joints, actuator integration, modularity, and field serviceability. You should thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where you adapt quickly and love to solve hard problems.

You will see your own hardware worn by an operator within weeks of joining.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Take parts from concept to working hardware in house, and carry them through to volume production
• Own structure, joints, actuator integration, and the interfaces that mount to the belts and plate carriers soldiers already wear
• Design for 30 Nm through a human hip, a fit range from the 5th to the 95th percentile, and survival in dust, water, and cold
• Keep the system modular and field serviceable, so an armorer can swap a module with a screwdriver
• Handle design for manufacturing as the product moves toward production
• Follow designs through with suppliers, from spec to first articles
• Join field tests and turn what you see there into changes to the hardware

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or another engineering discipline
• 2+ years designing parts that were manufactured and used in the field
• Proficiency in CAD and hands‑on fabrication experience

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Structural design under real loads: material selection, FEA, and the judgment to know when a test is worth more than the analysis
• Design for manufacturing, including what changes between a machined prototype and a production part, and what each process costs
• Composites and lightweight structure: carbon fiber, titanium, thin wall aluminum
• Wearable or body worn hardware, where fit across a range of body sizes is the constraint
• Sealed enclosures for dust, water, and temperature
• Direct experience working with suppliers to get parts made correctly
• Machining or working the floor yourself, not only specifying it
• Things you build outside work: robots, vehicles, your own tools

HOW WE WORK

• Hardware on real operators in real field conditions within weeks of concept, not years
• Small team, one owner per category, nobody owning a slice of someone else's problem

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Full time and in person in Palo Alto
• Hands on shop and assembly work
• Travel to field tests, including overseas
• Must be willing to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed