Mechanical Engineer - Prototyping

1X; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

PTO & holidays

401(k) plan with company match

FSA/HSA options

Commuter benefits

Disability & life insurance

EAP

Job summary

1X is building humanoid robots that live in homes, performing chores and tasks to give people time back. The Prototyping team translates ideas into physical reality across hardware projects, designing prototypes, coordinating fabrication, and iterating rapidly to deliver practical solutions.

You will own end-to-end development, collaborate with stakeholders and shops, and drive multiple hardware projects from concept through testing to production readiness, shaping the NEO ecosystem.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, product development, prototyping, or a similar hands-on hardware development role.
• Demonstrated experience taking physical products or prototypes from concept through design, fabrication, assembly, and testing.
• Strong mechanical CAD and design skills, with an understanding of manufacturing processes and practical fabrication constraints.
• Experience independently managing multiple hardware projects with competing priorities.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end development of physical products and prototypes that support the NEO ecosystem beyond the core robot.
• Take projects from unclear requirements through design, prototyping, fabrication, testing, and iteration, working directly with stakeholders and internal and external resources to deliver practical, high-quality solutions.
• Develop practical mechanical designs that can be rapidly prototyped, tested, iterated, and transitioned to appropriate manufacturing methods when needed.
• Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, machine shops, vendors, and other fabrication resources to ensure projects move quickly from design to physical hardware.
• Identify issues through hands-on testing and iteration, using learnings to improve design performance, reliability, usability, and manufacturability.

Skills

Mechanical CAD

Project management

Hardware prototyping

Manufacturing constraints

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Job description

About 1X

We’re building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it’s not.

To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you’re inspired by this, you’ll thrive here. We’ve been at this since 2014 and we’re at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us.

NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it - we’re shipping it. We’re excited to meet you, if this excites you.

If you’ve spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all.

About the Team:

The Prototyping team helps turn ideas into physical reality across some of the most varied hardware projects at 1X. While other engineering teams may focus deeply on a specific subsystem of NEO, this team works across accessories, shop products, internal ecosystem projects, and the hardware needed to support the broader NEO experience.

You may be designing a mechanical prototype one week, coordinating fabrication the next, and testing or iterating on a completely different product shortly after. If you enjoy variety, ownership, and building things from the ground up, this is a team where you will have a direct impact.

Your Charter: Own the end-to-end development of physical products and prototypes that support the NEO ecosystem beyond the core robot. You will take projects from unclear requirements through design, prototyping, fabrication, testing, and iteration, working directly with stakeholders and internal and external resources to deliver practical, high-quality solutions.

Your work will help 1X rapidly develop the accessories, products, tools, and supporting hardware required to bring NEO into the real world and into people's homes.

Key Outcomes:

• Deliver functional, validated prototypes and products from concept through fabrication and testing, balancing speed, quality, cost, and performance.

• Independently drive multiple projects simultaneously, establishing requirements, priorities, and execution plans even when the initial problem is ambiguous.

• Develop practical mechanical designs that can be rapidly prototyped, tested, iterated, and transitioned to appropriate manufacturing methods when needed.

• Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, machine shops, vendors, and other fabrication resources to ensure projects move quickly from design to physical hardware.

• Identify issues through hands-on testing and iteration, using learnings to improve design performance, reliability, usability, and manufacturability.

Key Competencies:

• Mechanical intuition: You have strong fundamentals in mechanical design and understand how parts are actually fabricated, assembled, and used.

• End-to-end ownership: You are comfortable owning the full lifecycle of a project, from requirements and design through fabrication, testing, iteration, and delivery.

• Adaptability: You can context-switch between very different projects and are comfortable working outside a narrow engineering specialization when the project requires it.

Minimum Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, product development, prototyping, or a similar hands-on hardware development role.

• Demonstrated experience taking physical products or prototypes from concept through design, fabrication, assembly, and testing.

• Strong mechanical CAD and design skills, with an understanding of manufacturing processes and practical fabrication constraints.

• Experience independently managing multiple hardware projects with competing priorities.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Skills:

• Portfolio demonstrating prototypes, products, or hardware projects you have personally designed and built.

• Experience working with machine shops, contract manufacturers, and other external fabrication partners.

• Hands-on experience with rapid prototyping processes such as 3D printing, machining, sheet metal, casting, or other fabrication methods.

• Experience developing consumer products, accessories, or products intended for real-world customer use.

• Exposure to electrical, manufacturing, or other multidisciplinary engineering work beyond mechanical design.

What does a successful 1X Team Member look like:

Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it’s the one thing you can’t get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect.

Compensation Range:

$175,000-215,000

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

• Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave

• 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options

• Commuter benefits (transit and parking)

• Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support

• Onsite snacks and catered lunches

Equal Opportunity Employer
1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.