Senior Technical Team Lead, Mechanical Engineering

Boston Dynamics; Waltham, Northern (MA, KY); On-site; USD 135,000 - 167,000; Full time

Job summary

Boston Dynamics in Waltham seeks a Senior Technical Team Lead, Mechanical Engineering for the Atlas Actuation Team to manage a group of mechanical engineers designing high-performance actuator products for next-generation humanoid robots.

You will guide technical direction, oversee system-level design across motors, packaging, thermal management and sensors, mentor staff, and collaborate with cross-functional partners. Travel 5–10% internationally; salary range $135,000–$167,000 in Massachusetts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years of professional experience in electromechanical hardware product development with ownership of complex launches.
• 2+ years of experience managing a technical team.

Responsibilities

• Technical leadership: guide a team of mechanical engineers to design and improve actuator products.
• Develop and manage actuator product roadmaps and project plans.
• Drive system-level design decisions across motors, packaging, thermal management, sensors, and power transfer.
• Mentor engineers through reviews and standards development; foster an inclusive team environment.
• Collaborate with external vendors and partners to scale actuator products.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

System-level design

Mentorship

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CATIA

Job description

Boston Dynamics is looking for a Senior Technical Team Lead, Mechanical Engineering to join our Atlas Actuation Team. We are looking for a Senior Technical Team Lead to manage a team of mechanical engineers to design, develop, and support high-performance Actuator Products for next-generation humanoid robotic platforms. This role sits at the intersection of product design, cutting-edge motor and drivetrain technology, and manufacturing, shaping how complex electromechanical systems are conceived, integrated, brought to life at scale, and maintained in the field. The actuators enable our robots to move and accomplish their complex work - this is a critical role on the Atlas team. As a Senior Technical Team Lead at Boston Dynamics, you are not just a people manager. You will be responsible for guiding a team of Architects and Mechanical Engineers, mentoring and coaching people as well as providing technical oversight and backstopping. You'll help define long-term hardware design and product strategies, lead technically complex programs, and work closely with cross-functional partners to deliver robust, scalable, and innovative robotic actuator systems. Boston Dynamics is a world leader in mobile robots, tackling some of the toughest robotics challenges. For years, our awe-inspiring viral videos on YouTube have shown the world what remarkably capable robots can do. Now we are quickly becoming a recognized leader in automation solutions for industrial applications and warehouse logistics.

What You'll Do:

• Technical Leadership: Guide a team of mechanical engineers to design, develop, and continuously improve high-performance robotic actuator products.
• Product Strategy: Participate in developing overall robot product strategy and actuator product roadmaps.
• Execution: Create and manage plans to complete the necessary work to accomplish the team’s objectives.
• System-Level Design: Drive and backstop system-level design decisions across motors, sensors, mechanical packaging, thermal management, data and power transfer, and manufacturability.
• Innovation: Evaluate, derisk, and introduce new technologies to improve performance, reliability, and scalability.
• Collaborative Design (DFx): Lead technical trade studies and guide key architectural decisions in collaboration with systems, software, controls, manufacturing, and sourcing teams.
• Risk Stewardship: Manage technical risk mitigation through design reviews, FMEAs, and validation planning.
• Mentorship & Development: Support and mentor engineers through design reviews, standards development, and architectural best practices, while fostering an inclusive team environment.
• Partnerships: Collaborate with external vendors and partners to develop, scale, and deliver actuator products.

What You'll Bring:

• Experience building consensus and aligning decision-making across disciplines and levels through collaboration and clear communication.
• High proficiency in 3D CAD (CATIA preferred or equivalent) and deep experience architecting complex electromechanical products, with an emphasis on motors, speed reducers, electronics packaging, and thermal management.
• Strong understanding of actuator design challenges, including thermal management, input and output load management, sensor integration, gears, and bearings.
• Ability to lead architectural trade studies, resolve ambiguous design challenges, and balance innovation with practical manufacturing constraints.
• Experience working across disciplines and influencing technical direction without direct authority.
• Experience collaborating with external vendors and suppliers on electromechanical assemblies or drivetrain components.
• 5%-10% international travel required to support the global supplier and partner network for actuator products.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• Professional experience in electromechanical hardware product development, including meaningful ownership of complex product launches (typically 8+ years).
• Professional experience managing a technical team (typically 2+ years).
• Experience collaborating with external vendors and suppliers on electromechanical assemblies or drivetrain components.

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas for this position.

The salary range for this position will be clearly stated in the job posting as required by Massachusetts law. The base pay range for this position is between $135,000 - $167,000. Base pay will depend on multiple individualized factors including, but not limited to internal equity, job related knowledge, skills and experience. This range represents a good faith estimate of compensation at the time of posting.

Boston Dynamics will never ask you to divulge your personal financial or account information as part of its recruiting process.

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We are growing rapidly, building a commercial company that delivers cutting edge technology and solutions to our customers from industrial applications to logistics and warehouse solutions.