Senior Mechanical Engineer - Robotic Platforms

Gritt Robotics Inc; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Gritt Robotics Inc. in South San Francisco, CA, is seeking a hands-on Senior Mechanical Engineer to own the mechanical integration of robots onto skid-steer and tracked platforms for outdoor construction sites.

You will trade off structure, sealing, thermal management, and serviceability on rugged platforms, design for reconfigurability with multiple end-effectors, and lead field deployment from prototype to repeatable production in harsh environments, from desert heat to winter cold.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of mechanical engineering in robotics or heavy equipment.
• Experience integrating robotic arms and payloads onto mobile platforms.
• IP67 or higher enclosure design and outdoor deployments.
• Strong cabling and harness design experience; connector selection.
• Proficient CAD with GD&T and production drawings.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical integration programs that mate robotic arms and payloads to platforms.
• Design and specify heavy‑duty mechanical systems built for outdoor duty cycles.
• Architect platforms for reconfigurability across construction tasks.
• Own environmental strategy: IP67 enclosures, gasketing, and thermal management.
• Design, route, and validate wire harnesses and cable assemblies.
• Integrate sensor and lighting packages with attention to field‑of‑view and serviceability.
• Drive DFA/DFS from the first CAD review and manage ECOs with vendors.
• Go to the field to diagnose failures and learn for the next revision.

Skills

Robotics integration

Heavy machinery integration

CAD (OnShape/SolidWorks)

Cable harness design

DFM/ DFA/ DFS

FEA/ hand calcs

Field deployment

Travel 15-25%

Tools

OnShape

SolidWorks

FEA software

Job description

Gritt is an intelligent system that combines robotics and AI to build the infrastructure that pulls society forward. Gritt deploys via simple attachments to common equipment found on construction sites and autonomously performs labor-intensive tasks, verification, and planning. Gritt systems are already building critical infrastructure in the harshest outdoor environments, starting with large-scale solar. The founding team includes experts in robotics and AI from Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, and MIT. Gritt is backed by Obvious Ventures, Union Square Ventures, First Round Capital, Climactic, Congruent Ventures, and other leading firms.

The Role

You’ll own the mechanical integration of our robots onto heavy mobile base platforms - skid-steers and tracked vehicles in the 10,000 lb class - and lead programs that take systems from prototype to repeatable field deployment across construction environments. Our arms are heavy, our payloads are heavier, and our operating conditions run from Arizona desert heat to sub-zero winter cold. You’ll make hard trade-offs on structure, mounting, sealing, thermal, and serviceability, and you’ll make them fast.

Because our platform is general-purpose, you won’t be designing for one task forever. The same base robot needs to handle different end-effectors, payloads, and workflows as we expand across construction. Designing for that kind of reconfigurability - without giving up ruggedness - is a core part of the job.

This is a hands‑on senior role. You should be equally comfortable in CAD, on the shop floor with a torque wrench, and at a job site debugging a harness failure at 6 a.m..

What You’ll Do

• Lead mechanical integration programs that mate robotic arms and payloads to skid‑steer and tracked vehicle platforms - structural mounting, load paths, power/data routing, and service access.
• Design and specify heavy‑duty mechanical systems - mounts, brackets, enclosures, actuators, end‑effects - built to survive continuous outdoor duty cycles on active construction sites.
• Architect platforms for reconfigurability so we can adapt across construction tasks (PV, rebar, block work, and future applications) without rebuilding from scratch each time.
• Own the environmental strategy: IP67‑rated enclosures, gasketing, connector selection, thermal management across roughly -20°F to 120°F+, and ingress protection against dust, mud, rain, and snow.
• Design, route, and validate wire harnesses and cable assemblies - strain relief, chafe protection, connector selection, service loops, and harness documentation a contract manufacturer can actually build.
• Integrate sensor and lighting packages (cameras, LiDAR, IMUs, work lights, indicators) with attention to field‑of‑view, vibration isolation, cleanability, and serviceability.
• Drive DFM, DFA, and DFS (design‑for‑service) from the first CAD review, not as an afterthought.
• Run structural analysis (hand calcs and FEA) on critical load‑bearing components; own the validation plan - vibration, shock, thermal, ingress, EMI - and see it through test.
• Work directly with machine shops, sheet metal vendors, and harness houses. Release drawings, manage ECOs, and hold vendors to spec.
• Go to the field. Diagnose failures, instrument systems, and carry learnings back into the next revision.

What We’re Looking For

• 7+ years of mechanical engineering experience, with meaningful time at a robotics, autonomous systems, or heavy equipment company that scaled real hardware into the field.
• Direct experience integrating robotic arms, actuators, or heavy payloads onto mobile platforms - skid‑steers, tracked vehicles, AGVs, off‑road equipment, or equivalent heavy machinery.
• Proven track record designing to IP67 (or stricter) and shipping systems that have survived real outdoor deployments across rain, snow, sub‑zero cold, and high‑heat/high‑dust environments.
• Strong hands‑on cabling and harness design experience - you’ve specified connectors, drawn harness diagrams, and debugged the problems that come back from the field.
• Expert CAD proficiency (OnShape/SolidWorks) and comfort with GD&T, tolerance stacks, and production‑quality drawings.
• Structural analysis chops on heavy systems - you can size a weldment, pick a bearing, and know when to run FEA vs. when hand calcs are enough.
• Comfort moving fast in a scale‑up: you’ve lived through the transition from one‑off prototypes to low‑volume production and know where the landmines are.
• Willingness to travel to field sites (~15–25%), including active construction environments.

Bonus Points

• Experience specifically with construction equipment, agricultural equipment, mining robotics, or defense ground vehicles.
• Experience designing platforms intended to support multiple end‑effectors, payloads, or task configurations.
• Background integrating perception stacks - camera mounting, LiDAR calibration fixtures, sensor cleaning systems.
• Familiarity with hydraulics, pneumatics, or high‑current DC power distribution on mobile platforms.
• Experience owning supplier relationships for castings, weldments, or large machined parts.
• Prior work on systems operating in desert Southwest or northern‑climate conditions specifically.

Why This Role

You’ll own how our robots survive contact with the real world - across construction tasks, not just one. The problems are concrete, the feedback loop is fast, and the systems you design will be out on job sites being hammered by sun, mud, and construction crews within months. If you want to build serious machines doing serious work outdoors — and a platform general enough to tackle whatever construction throws at it next - we should talk.—– Gritt is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds.