Senior Mechanical (Mechatronics) Engineer for Robotics

Spacer Robotics; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Early-stage equity

Job summary

A robotics company is seeking a Mechatronics Engineer to lead hardware-software integration for autonomous robots. This hands-on role involves working on mechanical systems, electronics, and debugging complex interactions. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Mechatronics or related fields and several years of experience in robotic systems and software frameworks. You'll be instrumental in ensuring system reliability and performance in real-world environments. This position offers competitive salary and equity as part of a small, impactful team in San Francisco.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on experience in robotic system development, hardware-software integration, or mechatronics.
• Deep understanding of robotic system architecture including sensors, actuators, controllers.
• Experience with motor controllers, firmware interfaces, and real-time communication protocols.

Responsibilities

• Own integration of sensors, actuators, and controllers into the ROS2 software stack.
• Debug hardware-software interaction issues spanning firmware and real-time communication.
• Design and prototype mechanical assemblies and end-effector components.

Skills

Robotic system development

Hardware-software integration

Programming in Python and/or C++

Problem-solving mindset

Test automation

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics

Tools

CAD (SolidWorks or equivalent)

Robotic frameworks (ROS / ROS2)

Motor controllers

Job description

Spacer Robotics is building autonomous, non-humanoid robotic systems to construct infrastructure in extreme environments, from lunar bases to next-gen terrestrial job sites. Our vision is to disrupt the $16 trillion global construction industry by pioneering a new Deep Tech philosophy that blends robotics, AI, and systems engineering at the frontier.

About the Role

We're looking for a Mechatronics Engineer to own the hardware-software integration layer of Spacer's first robot. This is a deeply hands‑on, cross‑disciplinary role spanning mechanical systems, electronics, actuator control, embedded interfaces, and sensor integration. You'll work at the intersection of physical hardware and the software stack that drives it, debugging issues that span both worlds and building systems that have to work reliably in the real world.

As one of the first technical hires, you'll have direct influence over how we build, what we build, and how we validate it. You'll collaborate daily with the software team and hardware lead to take designs from bench to field.

On‑Site Requirement

This role is on-site in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are building hardware. The robot is here. The team is here. Rapid integration and iteration require us to be in the same room.

What You’ll Do

Hardware‑Software Integration

• Own integration of sensors, actuators, and controllers into the ROS2 software stack, from driver development to validated field performance
• Debug complex hardware‑software interaction issues spanning firmware, real‑time communication protocols, and application‑layer behavior
• Develop and maintain hardware abstraction layers for sensors and actuators, enabling clean interfaces between physical components and the autonomy stack
• Integrate and validate motor controllers, encoders, proximity sensors, and the tying mechanism's electromechanical subsystems
• Define and manage TF trees, message interfaces, and real‑time data pipelines across the full sensor suite

Mechanical & Electrical Systems

• Design, prototype, and iterate on mechanical assemblies and end‑effector components using CAD (SolidWorks or equivalent)
• Create GD&T‑informed drawings, BOMs, and assembly documentation for fabrication and production
• Select sensors based on environmental constraints, dust, vibration, outdoor lighting, and construction‑site conditions
• Perform hands‑on assembly, bench testing, and field validation of electromechanical subsystems
• Support PCB‑level work and wiring design for power distribution, signal routing, and harness integration where needed

Testing, Validation & Reliability

• Build and run test automation, system validation procedures, and hardware‑in‑loop testing pipelines
• Perform root‑cause analysis on hardware failures, integration bugs, and field anomalies
• Define quantitative metrics for system reliability, actuator performance, and sensor data integrity
• Conduct stress testing across environmental conditions, vibration, dust ingress, temperature variation, representative of real construction sites
• Contribute to safety validation including emergency stop behavior, collision response, and fail‑safe logic

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field
• 3+ years of hands‑on experience in robotic system development, hardware‑software integration, or mechatronics
• Programming skills in Python and/or C++, with experience in robotic frameworks (ROS / ROS2)
• Deep understanding of robotic system architecture including sensors, actuators, controllers, and embedded interface.
• Experience with motor controllers, firmware interfaces, and real‑time communication protocols (CAN Bus, I2C, UART, SPI)
• Proficiency in CAD tools and ability to create GD&T‑informed engineering drawings
• Strong problem‑solving mindset with demonstrated ability to debug across hardware‑software boundaries
• Experience with test automation, data analysis, and structured system validation
• Comfortable working hands‑on: building, assembling, and iterating on physical prototypes

Preferred

• Experience with embedded systems, RTOS, or low‑level hardware control on edge compute platforms (NVIDIA Jetson or similar)
• Familiarity with FEA or structural analysis tools for mechanism design validation
• Background in industrial, construction, mobile, or field‑deployed robotics
• Experience with sensor fusion pipelines (EKF, UKF, or factor graph‑based methods)
• Familiarity with functional safety principles, fault tolerance, and degraded operation modes
• Prior experience in an early‑stage startup or prototype‑to‑production environment

Why Join Us

At Spacer Robotics, you won't just be writing code, you'll see your work run on a real robot, on a real construction site, doing a job that matters. You'll join a small, technical team where your contributions have direct impact and your growth into robotics is intentional and supported.

This is an early opportunity to help build the engineering foundation of a company with a large, defined technical mission. If you're excited about autonomous systems, curious about physical AI, and want to ship something real, we want to hear from you.

Compensation

The US base salary range for this full‑time position is competitive and benchmarked to Bay Area market rates, plus meaningful early‑stage equity. The total compensation package may also include additional components depending on the role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.

Send your resume and answer the following question in 150 words or less. Applications without a response will not be reviewed.

Describe a physical system or robot you've worked on. What was the hardest hardware‑software integration challenge you encountered, and how did you solve it?