Mechanical Engineer (Ph.D.)

Exponent Inc.•Natick, MA

2d•$135,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

Exponent is the only premium engineering and scientific consulting firm with the depth and breadth of expertise to solve our clients’ most profoundly unique, unprecedented, and urgent challenges. Our vision is to engage multidisciplinary teams of science, engineering, and regulatory experts to empower clients with solutions that create a safer, healthier, more sustainable world. For over five decades, we've connected the lessons of past failures with tomorrow's solutions to advise clients as they innovate technologically complex products and processes, ensure the safety and health of their users, and address the challenges of sustainability. Join our team of experts with degrees from top programs at over 500 universities and extensive experience spanning a variety of industries. At Exponent, you’ll contribute to the diverse pool of ideas, talents, backgrounds, and experiences that drives our collaborative teamwork and breakthrough insights. Plus, we help you grow your career through mentoring, sponsorship, and a culture of learning. Thanks for your interest in joining our team! Key statistics: 950+ Consultants 640+ Ph.D.s 90+ Disciplines 30+ Offices globally Our Opportunity We are currently seeking a Mechanical Engineer for our Mechanical Engineering Practice in our Boston area office in Natick, MA. In this role, you will be responsible for analyzing a wide variety of mechanical and material failures, often by designing and building custom mechatronic test systems to replicate real-world incidents or assess long-term product reliability. Your work will support a diverse range of products, from consumer electronics and medical devices to emerging applications in robotics and physical AI. You will be expected to grow in the key aspects of consulting, including technical expertise and effective spoken and written communications, to develop a consulting practice serving clients both within and outside the firm.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field, with an emphasis on mechatronics, robotics, physical AI, or control systems
Completion of formal coursework in machine design, mechanics of materials, and control systems
Familiarity with regulated environments (e.g., for medical devices or consumer products) and an understanding of the verification and validation required to generate regulatory-grade experimental data
Experience performing failure analysis and/or fatigue analysis
Strong aptitude for interpreting results from computational platforms (e.g., FEA, CFD) and a working knowledge of associated numerical analysis tools such as MATLAB or Python
Demonstrated hands-on experience designing and building electromechanical or mechatronic systems, including specifying components like motors and load cells and utilizing platforms like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or LabVIEW for data acquisition and control
Experience with engineering drawings and/or CAD
Experience with mechanical design
Hands-on work or research experience
Willing to work in new technical areas
Excellent verbal and written communications skills
Ability to work within project teams
Potential for technical and project managerial leadership
Interest in developing a client base
Willingness to travel
Presently legally authorized to work in the United States. No immigration sponsorship or processing required.

Responsibilities

Conducting hands-on analyses of mechanical equipment failures to understand what happened and the cause of the failure in collaboration with experts in other engineering disciplines
Creating written reports and presentations and presenting these communications to both technical and non-technical clients
Supporting an expansive internal client base that works collaboratively to solve complex, real-world problems associated with various types of mechanical equipment
Designing, building, and validating custom mechatronic test fixtures for incident recreation, durability, and reliability studies. This includes programming controllers, integrating sensors and actuators, and developing closed-loop control systems to produce robust, regulatory-grade data.
Interpreting and clearly communicating the results of complex computational analyses (e.g., FEA/CFD) to clients, legal teams, and regulatory bodies.
Applying mechanical engineering principles to assess the reliability and safety of robotic and automated systems, including those in physical AI workflows.
Performing calculations and analyses, creating written reports and presentations, and performing field inspections

Benefits

Our firm is committed to offering a variety of programs and resources to support health and well-being. We believe that providing competitive benefits as well as compensation and recognition programs empowers our staff to do work that makes a difference.
Exponent's total compensation plan is consistent with its expectations of the quality and quantity of work performed and with the professional standards set by Exponent. At the Associate and Senior Associate level, total compensation includes base salary, bi-weekly bonuses for high-intensity efforts, annual bonus and 401(k) employer contribution of 7% of base salary.

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