Staff Mechanical Test Engineer — Robotics Reliability Lead

Apera; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Apera is recruiting a Staff Mechanical Test Engineer for the Bay Area, CA. This role will own end-to-end validation of mechanical and electromechanical systems, from prototype through production, and provide technical leadership to the test team.

You will design test rigs and instrumentation, develop test plans and acceptance criteria, and automate testing in Python. You will compare lab results with field data and drive root-cause actions with cross-functional teams to improve reliability and

Qualifications

• Proven experience validating mechanical or electromechanical hardware through development, production, and field deployment.
• Hands-on expertise in test rig design, instrumentation, and automated testing.
• Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals, including CAD, tolerance analysis, fatigue, wear, and FEA.
• Proficiency in Python or equivalent tools for test automation and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end validation of mechanical and electromechanical systems from prototype to fleet deployment.
• Develop test plans and acceptance criteria based on product requirements, safety risks, and real-world operating conditions.
• Design, build, and maintain test rigs, fixtures, instrumentation, and automated test systems.
• Execute tests covering structural performance, durability, wear, environmental conditions, misuse, and reliability.
• Automate test execution and data analysis using Python or equivalent tools.
• Lead failure investigations, identify root causes, and drive corrective actions with cross-functional teams.
• Correlate laboratory results with field data to improve test methods and product reliability.
• Communicate test results, risks, and release recommendations while improving test efficiency and mentoring others.

Skills

Mechanical testing

Test automation

Python

CAD

FEA

Data analysis

Tools

Instrumentation

Job description

Apera is recruiting a Staff Mechanical Test Engineer for the Bay Area, CA. This role will own end-to-end validation of mechanical and electromechanical systems, from prototype through production, and provide technical leadership to the test team.

You will design test rigs and instrumentation, develop test plans and acceptance criteria, and automate testing in Python. You will compare lab results with field data and drive root-cause actions with cross-functional teams to improve reliability and