Mechanical Engineer - Labs

DoorDash USA • San Francisco, CA

3d

About The Position

About the Team DoorDash Labs, established in 2018, serves as the innovation hub for DoorDash, focusing on developing automation and robotics solutions to enhance last-mile logistics. The team's mission is to create technologies that support and augment human networks, aiming to improve efficiency for Dashers, merchants, and consumers alike. We’re ruthlessly focused on business impact. We are a highly senior team composed of former pioneers from a variety of different robotics industries. As of 2025, DoorDash has completed 10B lifetime deliveries. We’re focused on how to do the next 10B even better. About the Role We are seeking a highly motivated Senior/Staff Mechanical Engineer to join our multidisciplinary team. This individual will play a critical role in the design, development, and validation of mechanical systems and components for our unmanned platforms. The ideal candidate has a strong background in mechanical design, structural analysis (FEA), CAD, and rapid prototyping, with a proven track record of delivering robust and elegant solutions in fast-paced and high rate production environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• 8+ years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience, preferably in robotics, aerospace, automotive, or other high volume and safety critical environment.
• You build. You know your way around a shop and are very capable in it.
• Strong proficiency in CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, NX, or equivalent) and drawing standards like GD&T.
• Deep understanding of materials, fasteners, tolerancing, and thermal/structural considerations.
• Proficiency with FEA tools (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus, SolidWorks Simulation) and experience applying analysis to inform designs.
• Experience taking products from concept to production in fast-paced, high-ownership environments.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills.
• Must be comfortable regularly exercising discretion and independent judgment in performing job duties, including evaluating options, making informed decisions, and determining appropriate courses of action within the scope of assigned responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

• You’ve shipped hardware at scale in a safety critical application
• Thrive in high-integrity, fast-paced, high-stakes engineering environments
• You are an engineer in your personal life and have the projects to prove it
• Have worked with in house and contract manufacturing teams
• Are obsessed with craftsmanship
• Live and breathe extreme ownership

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, analysis, prototyping, and testing of mechanical systems, structures, and mechanisms.
• Own subsystems from concept through production, including CAD modeling, drawing generation, and documentation.
• Conduct and interpret Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to ensure mechanical robustness and performance.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including electrical, software, and systems engineers to ensure seamless integration of mechanical designs.
• Support assembly, integration, and validation of prototype and production systems.
• Drive design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA) in partnership with internal and external manufacturing teams.
• Take initiative in identifying technical risks, proposing solutions, and contributing to the product roadmap.

Benefits

• comprehensive benefits package to all regular employees, which includes a 401(k) plan with employer matching, 16 weeks of paid parental leave, wellness benefits, commuter benefits match, paid time off and paid sick leave in compliance with applicable laws (e.g. Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act).
• DoorDash also offers medical, dental, and vision benefits, 11 paid holidays, disability and basic life insurance, family-forming assistance, and a mental health program, among others.
• For salaried roles: flexible paid time off/vacation, plus 80 hours of paid sick time per year.
• For hourly roles: vacation accrued at about 1 hour for every 25.97 hours worked (e.g. about 6.7 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 3.4 hours/month if working 20 hours/week), and paid sick time accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (e.g. about 5.8 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 2.9 hours/month if working 20 hours/week).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees