Mechanical Engineer, Data Systems Hardware

Meta; Pittsburgh, Redmond (Allegheny County, WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Reality Labs in the United States seeks an experienced Mechanical Engineer to lead the design of internal data collection hardware. This role owns mechanical architecture for head-worn and body-worn prototypes, integrating cameras, sensors, and electronics into wearable form factors for field deployment.

You will work across mechanical, optical, electrical, systems, and firmware boundaries, partnering with research, program management, and data collection operations in a fast-paced environment

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field, or equivalent industry experience; 8+ years in mechanical design and development of electromechanical products
• Experience with 3D CAD, including Siemens NX or SOLIDWORKS
• Experience owning mechanical design from concept through production or deployment
• Experience designing hardware that integrates cameras, sensors, electronics, or compute into constrained form factors
• Experience with precision mechanical design, tolerance stack-up analysis, and alignment-critical assemblies
• Experience defining and executing mechanical test plans, including fixture design and data analysis
• Experience with fabrication processes including CNC, injection molding, sheet metal, and additive manufacturing; familiarity with DFx practices
• Experience cross-functional collaboration with electrical, firmware, and systems engineering
• Master's degree or equivalent depth; experience with systems engineering methods (requirements management, interface control, trade studies, risk/FMEA)
• Experience with head-worn hardware design, fit, comfort, and anthropometric sizing
• Awareness of AI tools integration for workflow optimization and ethics in hardware design

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical architecture and design for data collection devices from concept through deployment
• Design head-worn and body-worn prototypes, integrating sensors and electronics into wearable form factors
• Ensure durability, field serviceability, and safety across diverse users and geometries
• Collaborate across mechanical, optical, electrical, systems, and firmware domains and with research teams
• Define and execute testing plans, fixture design, and data analysis to validate designs

Skills

Mechanical design

Tolerance analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Prototype development

Data collection hardware

Python scripting

System integration

AR/VR hardware

AI ethics

Experimentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Siemens NX

SOLIDWORKS

3D CAD

CNC machining

Injection Molding

Sheet metal

Additive manufacturing

Fixture design

FMEA

Job description

Reality Labs is seeking an Mechanical Engineer to lead the design of internal data collection hardware. The Data Systems Hardware & Operations team designs, builds, and deploys the devices and systems used to capture the datasets behind Reality Labs products. This work spans development of data collection headsets and wearable prototypes, sensor-integrated form factor mockups, and the necessary infrastructure to integrate these systems into data collection operations. These systems support Codec Avatars, Input, and Health programs across all Reality Labs devices, and enable the algorithm development and research behind those programs.

This role owns mechanical architecture and design for data collection devices from concept through deployment to collection sites. Design work centers on head-worn and body-worn prototypes: integrating sensors (cameras, IMU, audio, etc.), illumination, and data aggregation into wearable form factors, holding sensor alignment and repeatable positioning across participants, managing thermal and mass distribution under wear constraints, and meeting fit, comfort, and participant safety requirements across a range of head and body geometries. Prototypes must be durable enough for sustained use by non-engineering operators and serviceable in the field.

The role operates across mechanical, optical, electrical, systems, and firmware boundaries, and partners with research, program management, and data collection operations.

Full system requirements are often undefined at project start. Research direction and program priorities shift, and requirements are established through prototyping and measurement. Candidates should have experience working in high-ambiguity, fast-paced development environments.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent industry experience8+ years of experience in mechanical design and development of electromechanical products or devices
• Experience with 3D CAD, including Siemens NX or SOLIDWORKS
• Experience owning mechanical design of a device or system from concept through production or deployment
• Experience designing hardware that integrates cameras, sensors, electronics, or compute into constrained form factors
• Experience with precision mechanical design, including tolerance stack-up analysis and alignment-critical assemblies
• Experience defining and executing mechanical test plans, including fixture design, measurement, and data analysis
• Experience with fabrication processes including CNC machining, injection molding, sheet metal, and additive manufacturing, and with design-for-manufacturing practices
• Experience working cross-functionally with electrical, firmware, and systems engineering partners
• Experience establishing requirements and specifications in environments where full system requirements are undefined at project start
• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent industry depth
• Experience with systems engineering methods, including requirements management, interface control, trade studies, and risk and FMEA analysis
• Experience designing hardware for repeated handling, transport, and field deployment by non-engineering operators
• Experience with motion capture, photogrammetry, or biometric sensing systems
• Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)
• Experience taking novel technology from investigation through production transfer, including new technology introduction and new product introduction processes
• Experience with instrumented prototypes or research hardware built for data capture rather than for production release
• Experience with AR/VR headsets, smart glasses, or other head-mounted hardware
• Experience serving as technical lead across engineering disciplines and driving projects cradle to grave
• Experience designing head-worn, wearable, or body-worn devices, including fit, comfort, adjustment mechanisms, and anthropometric sizing
• Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies
• Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)
• Python or equivalent scripting experience for test automation and data collection
• Experience with privacy, data compliance, and participant safety requirements in human subject study environments
• Thermal design experience for dense electronics or compute in wearable or enclosed assemblies
• Experience with structural and thermal analysis methods, including FEA correlation, load testing, and drop or durability testing
• Experience supporting research or data collection operations teams
• Experience with camera and sensor integration, including optical and sensor alignment, mounting strategy, and calibration fixture design
• Experience with contract manufacturing across design, manufacture, test, and delivery of hardware