Advanced Robotics Mechanical Engineer, Frontier AI & Robotics

Amazon.com, Inc.•San Francisco, CA

47d

About The Position

We are looking for a Mechanical Engineer with a passion for building complex robotic systems from the ground up. This role is ideal for someone with a deep understanding of structural and electromechanical design, who thrives in hands-on environments and has experience taking high-performance robots from concept to production. You will work on the mechanical architecture of advanced robotics platforms, including high degree-of-freedom systems, where considerations such as actuator selection, thermal constraints, cabling, sensing integration, and manufacturability are critical. This is a cross-disciplinary role requiring close collaboration with electrical, software, and AI research teams.

Requirements

Knowledge of SolidWorks or similar CAD experience and understanding of best practices for part design, and advanced assemblies
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related discipline.
3-6+ years of experience designing mechanical systems for robotics or complex electromechanical products.
Significant hands-on experience building prototypes, integrating hardware, and troubleshooting mechanical/electromechanical issues.
Solid knowledge of DFM/DFA principles and exposure to volume production (50+ units).

Nice To Haves

Deep understanding of actuator and motor selection for complex robotic applications, including sizing for torque, speed, and thermal performance.
Experience with wire/cable harness design and routing in compact mechanical systems.
Familiarity with integrating sensing and compute elements into mechanical designs.
Experience working on robotic manipulators or high-DOF electromechanical systems.
Exposure to designing, testing and validation for compliance (design for safety) and environmental factors (thermal, vibration, ingress protection, etc.).
Experience with structural analysis practices and tools (e.g. FEA/Ansys), thermal analysis, and material selection.
Basic familiarity with controls or embedded system concepts for integrated design work.
Experience with formal engineering documentation and design review processes in a corporate R&D setting.

Responsibilities

Lead mechanical design of robotic subsystems and full platforms, including structures, joints, enclosures, and mechanisms for a research environment.
Specify and integrate actuators and motors for high-torque density applications in high-degree-of-freedom systems.
Design and route cabling and wire harnesses, ensuring reliability, serviceability, and thermal/electrical integrity.
Contribute to thermal management strategies for motors, sensors, and embedded compute hardware.
Integrate sensors such as lidar, stereo cameras, IMUs, tactile sensors, and compute modules into compact, functional assemblies.
Prototype and test mechanical systems; support hands-on builds, debug sessions, and field testing.
Conduct root cause analysis on system-level failures or performance issues and implement design improvements.
Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles to transition prototypes into scalable builds (10s-100s of units).
Collaborate with cross-functional teams in electrical engineering, controls, perception, and research to meet research and product goals.