Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, Closures (City Hopper) - DoorDash Dot

DoorDash; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 139,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

DoorDash Labs in Oakland seeks a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Closures to own the architecture, design, and execution of closure systems for our next-generation autonomous delivery vehicle.

You will collaborate with industrial design, vehicle architecture, systems engineering, manufacturing, reliability, and operations to deliver durable, cost-effective access mechanisms for millions of delivery cycles.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 6+ years designing automotive body, closure, or mechanism systems through production.
• Experience with commercial/autonomous vehicles, robotics, or high-duty-cycle products is a plus.
• Expertise in closure mechanisms: hinges, latches, actuators, linkages, counterbalance, seals.
• Design for high-volume manufacturing: stamping, castings, injection molding, extrusions, welded assemblies.
• Extensive CAD experience and robust parametric models in NX/SolidWorks/CATIA.
• Proficiency in tolerance analysis, GD&T, and robust interfaces between mechanical systems.
• Knowledge of structural design, fatigue, corrosion prevention, environmental sealing, and outdoor use.
• Ability to use simulation tools (FEA, MATLAB, Python) to validate concepts.
• Experience leading cross-functional technical discussions and influencing decisions.

Responsibilities

• Own architecture, design, and execution of closure systems for a next-gen autonomous vehicle.
• Collaborate with industrial design, vehicle architecture, systems engineering, manufacturing and reliability teams.
• Drive design from concept through production with emphasis on durability, cost, and manufacturability.
• Apply CAD, tolerance analysis, GD&T, and simulations to validate concepts and assemblies.
• Review CAD in design reviews and support prototype floor troubleshooting and manufacturing improvements.

Skills

Mechanical design

Cross-functional collaboration

Tolerance analysis

Predicted reliability

Systems integration

Robotics/automation

Prototype troubleshooting

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

CATIA

Job description

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, Closures (City Hopper) - DoorDash Dot

Oakland, CA

About the Team

DoorDash Labs, established in 2018, serves as the innovation hub for DoorDash, focusing on developing automation and robotics solutions to enhance last-mile logistics. The team's mission is to create technologies that support and augment human networks, aiming to improve efficiency for Dashers, merchants, and consumers alike. We’re ruthlessly focused on business impact. We are a highly senior team composed of former pioneers from a variety of different robotics industries. As of 2025, DoorDash has completed 10B lifetime deliveries. We’re focused on how to do the next 10B even better

About the Role

As a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Closures, you will own the architecture, design, and execution of closure systems for DoorDash's next-generation autonomous delivery vehicle. This role sits at the intersection of mechanical engineering, vehicle integration, and product reliability, delivering robust access systems that operate safely and reliably through millions of delivery cycles in demanding real-world environments.

You'll partner with industrial design, vehicle architecture, systems engineering, manufacturing, reliability, and operations teams to create closure systems that delight customers while meeting the rigorous durability, cost, and manufacturability requirements of a commercial autonomous fleet.

You’re excited about this opportunity because you will…

• Contribute materially to the form and function of a high profile delivery robot— your work will be on display for all to see and interact with
• You want to build products that millions of people interact with—not just drive. Every engineering decision directly impacts the customer experience.
• You're energized by solving first-of-their-kind engineering problems at the intersection of robotics, automotive engineering, and logistics.
• You enjoy working on products that move quickly from concept to real-world deployment, where engineering decisions immediately translate into operational impact.
• You believe autonomous delivery has the potential to fundamentally reshape local commerce by making deliveries safer, more sustainable, and more affordable.
• You're excited to join a highly collaborative team where mechanical engineering plays a central role in defining the future of autonomous last-mile delivery.

We’re excited about you because…

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• You have 6+ years of experience designing automotive body, closure, or mechanism systems, taking products from concept through production.
• Experience with commercial vehicles, autonomous vehicles, robotics, or high-duty-cycle products is a strong plus.
• You possess deep expertise in closure mechanisms including hinges, latches, actuators, linkages, counterbalance systems, and environmental sealing.
• You understand how to design for high-volume manufacturing using processes such as sheet metal stamping, castings, injection molding, extrusions, and welded assemblies.
• You have extensive CAD experience (NX (preferred), SolidWorks, CATIA) and are comfortable designing complex assemblies with robust parametric models.
• You are skilled at tolerance analysis, stack-up management, GD&T, and designing robust interfaces between mechanical systems.
• You have a strong understanding of structural design, fatigue, durability, corrosion prevention, and environmental sealing for outdoor products.
• You use engineering fundamentals and data to make decisions and are comfortable leveraging simulation tools (FEA, kinematic analysis, MATLAB, Python, or similar) to validate concepts.
• You have demonstrated success leading cross-functional technical discussions and influencing engineering decisions across multiple disciplines.
• You are equally comfortable reviewing CAD in a design review, troubleshooting hardware on the prototype floor, or working with manufacturing engineers to improve assembly quality.

Compensation

The successful candidate’s starting pay will fall within the pay range listed below and is determined based on job-related factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. Base salary is localized according to an employee’s work location. Ranges are market-dependent and may be modified in a future.

In addition to base salary, the compensation for this role includes opportunities for equity grants. Talk to your recruiter for more information.

DoorDash cares about you and your overall well-being. That’s why we offer a comprehensive benefits package to all regular employees, which includes a 401(k) plan with employer matching, 16 weeks of paid parental leave, wellness benefits, commuter benefits match, paid time off and paid sick leave in compliance with applicable laws (e.g. Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act). DoorDash also offers medical, dental, and vision benefits, 11 paid holidays, disability and basic life insurance, family-forming assistance, and a mental health program, among others.

See below for paid time off details:

• For salaried roles: flexible paid time off/vacation, plus 80 hours of paid sick time per year.
• For hourly roles: vacation accrued at about 1 hour for every 25.97 hours worked (e.g. about 6.7 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 3.4 hours/month if working 20 hours/week), and paid sick time accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (e.g. about 5.8 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 2.9 hours/month if working 20 hours/week).

The national base pay range for this position within the United States, including Illinois and Colorado.

$139,400 - $205,000 USD

About DoorDash

At DoorDash, our mission to empower local economies shapes how our team members move quickly, learn, and reiterate in order to make impactful decisions that display empathy for our range of users—from Dashers to merchant partners to consumers. We are a technology and logistics company that started by enabling door-to-door delivery, and we are looking for team members who can help us go from a company that is known as the place you order food to a company that people turn to for any and all goods.
DoorDash is growing rapidly and changing constantly, which gives our team members the opportunity to share their unique perspectives, solve new challenges, and own their careers. We're committed to supporting employees’ happiness, healthiness, and overall well-being by providing comprehensive benefits and perks including premium healthcare, wellness expense reimbursement, paid parental leave and more.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We’re committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company, industry, and cities. That’s why we hire and cultivate diverse teams of people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that true innovation happens when everyone has room at the table and the tools, resources, and opportunity to excel.

Statement of Non-Discrimination: In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination and harassment based on “protected categories,” we also strive to prevent other subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (i.e., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our office. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at DoorDash. We value a diverse workforce – people who identify as women, non-binary or gender non-conforming, LGBTQIA+, American Indian or Native Alaskan, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, differently-abled, caretakers and parents, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Thank you to the Level Playing Field Institute for this statement of non-discrimination.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.