Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
- Salary
- $175K - $250K
- Level
- Senior
Not stated in the posting: work type, visa.
Open. First seen 2 October 2026.
About the role
Rhoda AI's standard text
At Rhoda AI, we’re building the next generation of generalist intelligent robots. We own the full robotics stack from high-performance hardware and robot systems to the infrastructure and state-of-the-art foundation world models that control our robots. Our robots are designed to be generalists capable of operating in complex, real-world environments and handling long-tail edge cases, made possible by our cutting edge research and end-to-end system design.
We've raised over $450M and are investing aggressively in model research, infrastructure, hardware development, and manufacturing scale-up to make generalist robotics a reality.
Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Robot Cladding & A-Class Surfaces
What to Expect
As a Senior Engineer, you will own the full product lifecycle of our robot’s Class-A surfaces that define its appearance and protect its core.
Robots are high performance multiaxial kinematic systems where heavy-duty structural integrity meets sub millimeter precision.
In this role, you are the CEO of your components. You will navigate a diverse landscape of materials (e.g., textiles, polymers, and composites), interfacing with cross-functional teams to ensure our products are functional, reliable, robust, and well-crafted.
We operate as T-shaped engineers. While you must be a generalist capable of solving any hardware challenge, your superpower for this role must be thin-walled component design and industrialization from concept to mass production.
What You’ll Do
- End-to-End Ownership: Manage the product lifecycle from initial concept and design studio interaction to end-of-life, ensuring feasibility, sustainability, and craftsmanship.
- A-Class Surface Integration: Integrate the cladding subsystem of your ownership, balancing aesthetic, mechanical, cost, and time constraints.
- Systems & Tolerance Management: Define design criteria and lead engineering studies for subsystem compatibility. Perform dimensional stack-up analysis for critical-to-function and aesthetic interfaces.
- Detailed Engineering & DfM: Design complex B-side features (ribbing, bosses, clip towers, hooks) that support performance without compromising A-side aesthetics. Develop robust attachment strategies, including joining features (e.g., snaps, hooks, welds).
- Validation & Prototyping: Coordinate cladding prototype builds, evaluate assembly feasibility during slow builds, and validate components against requirements.
- Technical Documentation: Produce high-fidelity 3D CAD models (CATIA preferred) and 2D engineering drawings with comprehensive GD&T and datum strategies.
- Simulation & Failure Avoidance: Interpret FEA analysis (e.g., structural, Moldflow) to iterate designs. Think at a systems level and apply a failure mode avoidance mentality to ensure long-term reliability.
- Supplier & Cross-Functional Interaction: Partner with Supply Chain and Tier 1/2 suppliers for RFQs and technical feasibility reviews; troubleshoot integration issues during build phases.
What You’ll Bring
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field.
- Experience: 5+ years of engineering experience, including at least one full-cycle product launch.
- Core Fundamentals: Proficiency in design integration to balance material selection, geometry, and structural trade-offs informed by product use cases and functional/engineering requirements.
- Technical "Superpower": Deep Knowledge in thin-walled component design and/or high-performance composites (fiber-resin systems).
- Engineering Tools: Ability to define datum strategies and tolerances from concept through to Class-A maturation with a deep understanding of GD&T as a driver. Proficiency in CATIA (or equivalent) with the ability to communicate ideas through sections and CAD studies to progress development to production.
- The "Owner" Mindset: Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to use first principles thinking to solve technical bottlenecks under tight timelines.
Bonus Points (The "Plus" List)
- Soft Goods Experience: Experience integrating textiles, artificial leather, elastomers, or cellular structures into designs.
- Advanced Manufacturing: Deep knowledge of injection molding, RIM, vacuum forming, or thermoforming.
- Finishing & Lighting: Familiarity with polymer surface finishes (painting, plating, etc.) or integration of vehicle interior lighting.
- Dual-Hat Experience: Background in both Design Engineering and Manufacturing/Assembly Engineering.
What this role asks for
Particular to this role
CATIA · FEA · GD&T
Rare in Rhoda AI's other 38 open postings.
89% of this description is written for the role. The rest is Rhoda AI's standard text, folded away below.
Read against Rhoda AI's other open postings on this site.
The team: Hardware
This role is one of 14 open in Hardware.
WHAT THE TEAM WORKS WITH, ACROSS ITS POSTINGS
Python (7 of 14), Embedded Systems (5 of 14), GD&T (4 of 14), CATIA (3 of 14), MATLAB (3 of 14), C++ (2 of 14), FEA (2 of 14)
OTHER ROLES ON THIS TEAM
- Staff Thermal Systems Integration Engineer posted Sep 9
- Robotics Test Engineer posted Aug 27
- Senior Hardware Reliability Engineer posted Aug 24
- Senior Actuator Engineer (Hands Team) posted Jul 28
- Senior Mechanical Engineer- Arm posted Jul 13
- Senior Mechanical Engineer- Robot Head posted Jul 13
- Staff Robot Controls Integration Engineer posted Jul 9
- Senior/Staff Actuator Test & Equipment Engineer posted Jun 29
- Staff Robotics System Safety Engineer posted Jun 22
- Senior System Engineer- AI Safety posted Jun 22
- Senior Design Engineer - Actuators posted Jun 22
- Staff Electrical Engineer (Sensors & Imaging Systems) posted May 26
- Senior System Safety Engineer- Robot Stability posted Mar 10
From the team and dates on Rhoda AI's own job board.
Salary context
15 other open postings titled Senior Mechanical Design Engineer state a salary: median USD 135,000 to USD 180,000 a year.
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