Staff Mechanical Engineer - Robotic Hand Design Tech Lead

Front Door Defense; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Apptronik is seeking a Staff Mechanical Engineer to lead the structural design of a next-generation robotic hand. You will define multi-DOF mechanisms, balance dexterity with strength, and work with actuation, controls, and perception teams to deliver a safe, scalable humanoid hand.

You will mentor engineers, own design reviews, and drive manufacturability and production readiness for Apollo’s dexterous manipulation system.

Qualifications

• Lead technical initiatives and align cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience designing multi-DOF robotic hands or arms.
• Strong background in mechanical structural design and FEA.
• Familiar with tendon-driven or underactuated mechanisms is preferred.
• Experience with tactile sensing or force feedback integration is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own the robotic hand structural architecture and topology.
• Lead design of fingers, joints, and palm for dexterity and strength.
• Collaborate with actuation, controls and perception teams.
• Drive manufacturability, tolerancing, and scale-up.
• Mentor engineers and lead design reviews for dexterous systems.

Skills

Drive Through Influence

Surfacing Expertise

Subject Matter Expert

Packaging Mastery

Education: BS/MS in Mechanical Eng

Robotic hands experience

Biomechanics familiarity

Tendon-driven systems

Soft robotic structures

Tactile sensing integration

Education

BS in Mechanical Engineering

MS in Robotics or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

NX

Catia

Job description

Staff Mechanical Engineer - Robotic Hand Design Tech Lead

Lead the mechanical design of a next-generation dexterous humanoid hand for Apollo.

Location: Austin, Texas

About The Role

Staff Mechanical Engineer - End Effector Structure Tech Lead

Austin, TX

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond. We operate at the cutting edge of embodied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Staff Mechanical Engineer to lead the structural design and architecture of a next-generation robotic hand for a humanoid platform. This role goes beyond traditional end effectors-focusing on highly dexterous, human-like manipulation in unstructured environments.

As the technical lead for hand structures, you will define and drive the mechanical design of complex, multi-DOF systems that must balance strength, compliance, weight, and tactile interaction. You will work at the intersection of biomechanics, precision engineering, and robotics to create a hand capable of robust, versatile, and safe interaction with the world.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities or Key Accountabilities

• Own the robotic hand structural architecture Define the mechanical architecture of a multi-fingered humanoid hand, including finger topology, joints, palm structure, and load paths, balancing dexterity, strength, and weight.
• Lead design of fingers and joints Develop robust, multi-DOF mechanisms with appropriate joint types, ensuring durability under off-axis loads, impacts, and real-world use.
• Co-design with actuation systems Partner with actuation team on tendon-driven or remote actuation designs, including cable routing, transmission efficiency, and wear reduction.
• Engineer for contact-rich, human-like interaction Design for grasping, pinching, sliding, and tool use, balancing compliance and stiffness for both precision and safe interaction.
• Drive structural analysis and durability Own FEA and validation for stress, fatigue, and impact. Design for high cycle life and address failure modes like wear, loosening, and material fatigue.
• Enable compact, integrated designs Build high-density mechanical systems that integrate actuation, sensing, and wiring within tight space constraints.
• Lead prototyping and iteration Rapidly prototype, test, and refine designs based on hands-on evaluation and system-level feedback.
• Own manufacturability and scale-up Drive DFM/DFA, process selection, tolerancing, and supplier collaboration to ensure production-ready designs.
• Collaborate cross-functionally Work closely with controls, perception, electrical, and software teams to deliver a cohesive manipulation system.
• Provide technical leadership Mentor engineers, lead design reviews, and set best practices for dexterous manipulation systems.

Skills and Requirements

• Drive Through Influence: A proven ability to lead technical initiatives and align cross-functional stakeholders without direct reporting authority. You must be able to build consensus on complex architectural trade-offs.
• Surfacing Expertise: Proven ability to work with Class-A surfaces and complex geometries; expert-level proficiency in surfacing tools within SolidWorks, NX, Catia…
• Subject Matter Expertise: Proven track record of designing multi-axis robotic arms or high-DOF dynamic mechanisms.
• Packaging Mastery: Exceptional skills in 'tight-space' integration; experience with ruggedized electronics packaging or automotive/aerospace interiors is a plus.
• Education: BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field.
• Direct experience with robotic hands, dexterous manipulation, or anthropomorphic mechanisms is preferred
• Familiarity with human hand biomechanics or bio-inspired design principles is preferred
• Experience with tendon-driven systems, cable routing, or underactuated mechanisms is preferred
• Background in compliant or soft robotic structures is preferredExperience integrating tactile sensing or force feedback into mechanical designs is preferred
• Knowledge of advanced materials and surface treatments for wear and grip optimization is preferred

Education and/or Experience

• Education: B.S in Mechanical Engineering
• Experience: 8 years of experience in mechanical design of complex robotic systems

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
• Hearing and speech to communicate

This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations.

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.