Mechanical Engineer – Marine Payloads for USVs/AUVs

Fathom Robotics; Fort Worth (TX); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ICHRA plan

Health stipend

401(k) plan

Job summary

Fathom Robotics is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design payloads for uncrewed surface and underwater vehicles. You will take payload hardware from a customer requirement through CAD, prototype, fit-check, and test, then support it on the water.

We are looking for an experienced engineer who has put real prototypes in the field and can move a design from sketch to working hardware without a large support structure.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent hands-on experience.
• 5+ years of mechanical design experience with prototypes in field use.
• Strong CAD skills in Onshape or SolidWorks with fabrication drawings and GD&T.
• Structural and vibration analysis, including hand calculations and FEA.
• Experience with instrumentation, sensors, and controls including PLCs.
• DFM mindset and experience with machine shops and fabrication vendors.
• Comfortable working in a shop, outdoors, and on boats.
• US Person status required for defense programs and ability to pass a background check for SECRET clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design payload hardware for USVs and AUVs, including enclosures and mounts.
• Run structural and vibration analysis to validate designs before fabrication.
• Fabricate or direct fabrication of prototype parts in shop or vendors.
• Produce fabrication drawings with GD&T and manage design revisions.
• Design for the marine environment, focusing on sealing and corrosion resistance.
• Define mechanical/electrical interfaces with OEMs, payload vendors, and government customers.
• Plan and run bench, leak, pressure, and vibration tests before field use.
• Instrument test articles, build fixtures, and analyze results.
• Support payload integration and on-water testing, including launch/recovery.
• Document designs, test results, and field findings.

Skills

5+ years mechanical design experience

Prototyping from concept to hardware

Shop environment familiarity

Background check clearance readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Onshape

SolidWorks

GD&T

SolidWorks Simulation

ANSYS

Job description

Fathom Robotics is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to design payloads for uncrewed surface and underwater vehicles. You will take payload hardware from a customer requirement through CAD, prototype, fit-check, and test, then support it on the water.

We are looking for an experienced engineer who has put real prototypes in the field and can move a design from sketch to working hardware without a large support structure.