Senior Mechanical Engineer

About the role

About the Role A fast-moving, venture-backed robotics startup in Austin, TX — building multi-mission ground robots for emergency response, industrial operations, and defense — is hiring a Senior Mechanical Engineer to take end-to-end ownership of critical mechanical and electro-mechanical systems. You'll work directly with the founding team in a small, highly capable group with backgrounds from NASA, Lockheed Martin, and top defense research organizations, engineering hardware that operates in some of the most demanding environments imaginable: extreme heat, corrosive conditions, and water-heavy deployments. This is a fully on-site, in-person role based in Austin, TX. Visa sponsorship is not available. What You'll Do Own multiple mechanical and electro-mechanical systems across all stages of product maturity — from concept through production. Collaborate directly with the founding team to validate and translate requirements into final engineering solutions. Drive concept validation and rapid iteration; build representative test platforms as needed to generate critical learnings quickly. Develop solutions across systems — producing concepts, 3D CAD models, and physical prototypes. Lead design reviews to evaluate designs, engineering drawings, and assemblies; recommend actions to prevent issues before they arise. Conduct mechanical analysis (strength, reliability, assembly) on critical systems to verify designs meet requirements. Develop system-level testing procedures and methods; design jigs, test fixtures, and tooling as required. Perform root cause analysis on hardware failures encountered during development and field deployment. Assemble and build systems to support testing or manufacturing efforts. Document design rationale, analysis, test results, and engineering recommendations. Monitor progress across concurrent projects; diagnose blockers and keep stakeholders informed. Ensure compliance with relevant industry standards, regulations, and best practices across mechanical, thermal, and environmental design. Engage directly with end users to inform and refine engineering direction where necessary. What We're Looking For Required: 5–10 years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience, with demonstrated seniority in owning systems end-to-end. Expertise in electro-mechanical systems integration and proven ability to lead mechanical engineering teams and projects through the full product lifecycle. Proficiency with SolidWorks (CAD) and Ansys (FEA/simulation) for mechanical design and analysis. Design and engineering experience for components and systems operating in high-temperature, corrosive, and water-heavy environments . Strong engineering fundamentals; degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field. Experience mentoring or coaching engineers and contributing to team development. Ability to context-switch across multiple concurrent projects and adapt to fast-changing priorities. Must be able to work fully on-site in Austin, TX — no remote or hybrid arrangements. Nice to Have: Background in aerospace, defense, robotics, or other high-reliability hardware industries. Experience at organizations operating at the intersection of hardware and hazardous-environment robotics. Compensation & Benefits Salary: $130,000 – $250,000 USD annually, depending on experience. Equity participation in a venture-backed early-stage company. Opportunity to work on high-impact, mission-critical hardware with a small, elite team. Location Austin, Texas, United States — fully on-site . Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.