Hardware Integration and Test Engineer

Robotics and AI Institute•Cambridge, MA

1d•$126,000 - $288,600

About The Position

The Hardware Integration and Test Engineer brings electromechanical subsystems to life, from initial assembly and controlled power-up through robot integration and fleet deployment. The role works across hardware, embedded software, controls, and research teams to characterize subsystem behavior and use measurements to improve models, hardware, and control strategies. The position combines hands-on integration and troubleshooting with test-system design, actuator characterization, verification planning, data collection, and analysis. It also documents setups and results for reproducibility and coordinates integration reviews and fault resolution.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
At least 5 years of relevant professional experience.
Hands-on electromechanical bring-up and troubleshooting, including reading drawings and schematics, modifying test setups, and recognizing when to involve a specialist.
Understanding of motors, drives, feedback sensors, and basic controls, with experience characterizing actuators and developing or validating models.
Experience setting up instrumentation and data acquisition, including bench instruments and current, torque, or position sensors.
Proficiency with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for test scripting, analysis, visualization, and comparing models with measurements.
Ability to turn incomplete requirements into test plans and acceptance criteria, isolate failures, and communicate reproducible results across teams.
Safe-work experience with moving machinery, rotating test equipment, hazardous voltages, and stored energy, including controlled power-up and operating limits.
Comfort using AI tools to support technical research, documentation, and routine tasks, with sound judgment about verifying outputs and protecting confidential information.

Nice To Haves

Motor dynamometer commissioning or operation, including load control and thermal testing.
Rust for embedded bring-up or test support; microcontroller firmware, real-time operating systems, or hardware-in-the-loop testing.
System identification, actuator friction and compliance modeling, or closed-loop control experiments.
3D CAD for test fixtures, machining, or rapid prototyping.
Linux and embedded communications such as CAN, EtherCAT, or Ethernet.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with design engineers and researchers to establish system requirements and develop verification strategies.
Assemble, integrate, and debug electromechanical subsystems through safe-first operation, resolving mechanical, electrical, and embedded interface issues across teams.
Design and operate instrumented test benches, HIL fixtures, roadkills, and dynamometers, selecting fixtures, sensors, data acquisition, and operating limits with engineering and safety leads.
Characterize motor and actuator torque, speed, current, efficiency, and thermal behavior; build and validate models; and work with researchers to evaluate control strategies on hardware.
Plan and execute subsystem and on-robot verification with clear acceptance criteria, testing high-risk design choices early.
Automate test execution, synchronized data collection, and analysis; check calibration and measurement quality; and compare results with requirements and models.
Document setups, interfaces, bring-up procedures, models, and results for reproducibility.
Lead integration reviews and coordinate fault resolution.