Mechatronics R&D Engineer

Crabi Robotics; Medford (MA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Crabi Robotics is seeking a Mechatronics R&D Engineer to join our team developing an autonomous underwater robot that cleans and inspects ships while crossing oceans. You will prototype sensors, mechanisms, and electromechanical systems to enable autonomous operation in harsh marine environments, with a strong emphasis on rapid experimentation to validate concepts.

The role requires versatility across mechanical, electrical, and firmware domains, and the ability to take early ideas to working

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience designing, building, and debugging electromechanical systems.
• Breadth across mechanical, electrical, or firmware engineering to prototype across disciplines.
• Mechanical CAD experience and familiarity with manufacturing processes.
• Electronics experience including PCB design and rework, soldering, wiring, testing equipment.
• Experience with embedded C/C++ and Python for hardware bring-up, data acquisition, and analysis.
• Undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, or related discipline.

Responsibilities

• Develop and prototype new sensors, mechanisms, actuators, and electromechanical systems for robot automation.
• Take concepts from idea through design, fabrication, bring-up, and proof-of-concept testing.
• Design mechanical components and assemblies in CAD and fabricate prototype hardware.
• Design, assemble, modify, and rework prototype PCBs, electronics, wiring, and sensor interfaces.
• Write and modify embedded firmware for sensor bring-up, including interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, and Ethernet.
• Design experiments, test fixtures, and data-acquisition setups to characterize prototype performance.
• Document results and hand off successful concepts to the appropriate engineering owners for further development.

Skills

Electromechanical design

Embedded C/C++

Python for hardware

Mechanical CAD

Electrical debugging

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical/electrical engineering or mechatronics

Tools

PCB design

Soldering

Electrical testing equipment

Job description

We are seeking a Mechatronics R&D Engineer to join our team developing an autonomous underwater robot that cleans and inspects ships while they are crossing the world’s oceans.

You will develop and prototype new sensors, mechanisms, and electromechanical systems that enable our robots to operate autonomously in a challenging marine environment. This is a highly hands-on, multidisciplinary R&D role focused on answering “does this work?” quickly and experimentally.

We are looking for a jack-of-all-trades engineer comfortable working across mechanical design, electronics, firmware, and testing. You do not need to be an expert in every discipline, but you should be capable of independently taking an early-stage idea, designing and building a prototype, bringing it up, and testing it well enough to determine whether the concept works.

US work authorization is a precondition of employment. The company will not consider candidates who require sponsorship for a work-authorized visa, now or in the future.

Responsibilities

• Develop and prototype new sensors, mechanisms, actuators, and electromechanical systems for robot automation.
• Take concepts from idea through design, fabrication, bring-up, and proof-of-concept testing.
• Design mechanical components and assemblies in CAD and fabricate prototype hardware.
• Design, assemble, modify, and rework prototype PCBs, electronics, wiring, and sensor interfaces.
• Write and modify embedded firmware for sensor and actuator bring-up, including common interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, and Ethernet.
• Design experiments, test fixtures, and data-acquisition setups to characterize prototype performance and determine technical feasibility.
• Document results and hand off successful concepts to the appropriate engineering owners for further development.

Required Qualifications

• Hands-on experience designing, building, and debugging electromechanical systems.
• Strong competency in at least one of mechanical, electrical, or firmware engineering, with enough breadth to independently prototype across all three.
• Mechanical CAD experience and familiarity with common manufacturing processes.
• Hands-on electronics experience including PCB design and rework, soldering, wiring, circuit debugging, and electrical test equipment.
• Experience with sensors, actuators, embedded systems, and hardware communication interfaces.
• Experience with embedded C/C++ and Python for hardware bring-up, data acquisition, and analysis.
• Undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, or a related discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Basic machining skills, including manual mill and lathe operation.
• Basic welding and metal fabrication experience.
• Experience rapidly prototyping with development boards, custom PCBs, 3D printing, machining, and other fabrication methods.
• Experience with robotics, autonomous systems, or complex electromechanical products.
• Experience with Linux, embedded Linux, and common robotics sensors and actuators.
• Experience developing hardware for underwater, marine, or other harsh environments.
• A demonstrated history of independently building things—professional, academic, competition, or personal projects all count.