Member of Technical Staff – Mechanical Engineer, Manipulation, Frontier AI & Robotics

Socket.dev; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Member of Technical Staff - Mechanical Engineer to design and develop robotic manipulation hardware for an AI research lab. You will prototype tools like grippers and end-of-arm tooling, enabling high-quality data collection for researchers.

Collaboration with AI/ML teams is essential to advance robotic manipulation capabilities. The role emphasizes rapid prototyping in a fast-paced environment, hands-on hardware development, and close teamwork with researchers to push

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, or equivalent.
• 3–5+ years designing mechanical systems for robotics, grippers, or electromechanical products.
• Proficiency in CAD software such as SolidWorks or OnShape.
• Hands-on experience building prototypes, integrating hardware, and troubleshooting mechanical issues.
• Experience designing compact mechanisms with integrated actuation and sensing.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop robotic manipulation hardware for AI researchers.
• Rapidly prototype and iterate hardware in a fast-paced R&D environment.
• Collaborate closely with AI/ML researchers to collect high-quality data.

Skills

Prototyping

Hardware integration

Troubleshooting

3D CAD

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

OnShape

Job description

The Member of Technical Staff - Mechanical Engineer will design and develop robotic manipulation hardware in a cutting-edge AI and robotics research lab. This role focuses on creating tools such as grippers and end-of-arm tooling to facilitate high-quality data collection for AI researchers. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced R&D environment, rapidly prototyping and iterating on hardware while collaborating closely with AI/ML researchers. This position is essential for advancing the capabilities of robotic manipulation systems.

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, mechatronics engineering, or equivalent.
• 3-5+ years designing mechanical systems for robotics, grippers, end-effectors, or complex electromechanical products.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks or OnShape.
• Hands-on experience building prototypes, integrating hardware, and troubleshooting mechanical issues.
• Experience designing compact mechanisms with integrated actuation and sensing.