Staff Mechanical Engineer – Upper Body Tech Lead

JOB SUMMARY

Apptronik is seeking a Staff Mechanical Engineer to serve as the technical lead for Apollo’s upper body. This is a high-visibility leadership role responsible for the torso head and arm assemblies.

You will own the complete lifecycle—architecture design integration and verification—of the upper body stack. This position requires a rare blend of deep kinematic expertise and the ability to solve extreme "packaging" challenges where high-performance compute high-density batteries and sensitive perception sensors must coexist within a compact dynamic and thermally-constrained frame. Finally you will be responsible for translating visionary industrial design into high-fidelity functional A-surfaces.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Upper Body Ownership: Define the mechanical architecture for the torso head and arms. Lead the trade-off studies between mass distribution range of motion (ROM) and structural rigidity.
• ID Intent & A-Surfaces: Serve as the primary bridge between Industrial Design (ID) and Engineering. Responsible for incorporating ID intent into final A-surfaces ensuring that mechanical constraints (draft wall thickness cooling vents) do not compromise the iconic Apollo head design language and brand identity.
• Aesthetic & Functional Synthesis: Manage the complex surfacing of the robot's "skin" ensuring seamless transitions between structural elements and aesthetic covers while maintaining IP (Ingress Protection) and thermal venting requirements.

• Kinematic Structures: Drive the development of high-performance robotic limbs. Design innovative mechanisms that manage extreme dynamic loads while maintaining the precision required for human-like manipulation.
• Structural Integrity: Lead the design of the primary "chassis" (torso) to protect internal electronics from high-energy impact events (e.g. falls) using advanced materials and topology optimization.

• Subsystem Packaging: Lead the tight-space integration of the compute cluster (NVIDIA Jetson/SoMs) battery modules and perception sensors (LiDAR Depth Cameras) within the torso and head.
• Interconnect & Cable Management: Architect the routing strategy for complex wire harnesses through high-flex joints (shoulders neck elbows) ensuring multi-million cycle reliability and signal integrity.

• DVT Ownership: Define and execute the Design Verification Test (DVT) plan for the upper body stack including environmental vibration and lifecycle testing.
• Technical Mentorship: Conduct deep-dive design reviews and establish company-wide standards for high-performance robotic design mentoring senior and junior engineers.

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 and/or EXPERIENCE

• Experience: 8 years of experience in mechanical design of complex robotic systems
• Education: BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering Robotics or a related field.

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

What We Do

Apptronik is building robots for the real world to improve human quality of life and to help solve the ever-increasing labor shortage problem. Our team has been building some of the most advanced robots on the planet for years dating back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge. We apply our expertise across the full robotics stack to some of the most important and impactful problems our society faces and expect our products and technology to change the world for the better. We value passion creativity and collaboration to help us overcome existing technological barriers in the industry to create truly innovative products.

Why Work With Us

At Apptronik we don't see a future where man competes against machine. Instead we envision a harmonious world where man and machine coexist. Our mission statement "It is not Man vs. Machine but Man + Machine" encapsulates our belief that the synergy between humans and robots will pave the way for a brighter more advanced future.

Gallery