Mechatronics R&D Engineer

Hardware FYI; Northern (KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Hardware FYI in the United States seeks a Mechatronics R&D Engineer to design, prototype, and test autonomous underwater robots for ship inspection and maintenance.

You will work across mechanical, electronics, firmware, and testing disciplines to rapidly validate concepts and advance them toward production readiness. US work authorization is assumed for this role.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience designing, building, debugging electromechanical systems.
• Breadth across mechanical, electrical, or firmware engineering with prototyping ability.
• CAD experience and familiarity with manufacturing processes.
• Electronics work including PCB design/rework, soldering, wiring, testing.
• Experience with sensors, actuators, embedded systems, and hardware interfaces.
• Embedded C/C++ and Python for hardware bring-up and data analysis.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related engineering field.

Responsibilities

• Develop and prototype sensors, mechanisms, actuators, and electromechanical systems.
• Take concepts from idea through design, fabrication, bring-up, and POC testing.
• Design mechanical components in CAD and fabricate prototype hardware.
• Assemble and modify PCBs, wiring, and sensor interfaces.
• Write embedded firmware for sensor bring-up using SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet.
• Design experiments, test fixtures, and data acquisitions to assess feasibility.
• Document results and hand off successful concepts for further development.

Skills

Hands-on electromechanical design

Mechanical design

Electronics

Firmware

Embedded C/C++

Python

CAD

Sensors and actuators

Education

Undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, or a related discipline

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.