Mechanical Engineer - Prototyping

1X • San Carlos, CA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

1X is building humanoid robots for home use, aiming to give people their time back by handling chores and tasks. This requires solving robotics, AI, and manufacturing simultaneously, at scale, and in a safe form factor. The Prototyping team plays a crucial role in turning ideas into physical reality across a variety of hardware projects, including accessories, shop products, internal ecosystem projects, and supporting hardware for the NEO robot. Team members on this team experience variety, ownership, and the opportunity to build things from the ground up, making a direct impact. The Prototyping team's charter is to own the end-to-end development of physical products and prototypes that support the NEO ecosystem beyond the core robot. This involves taking projects from unclear requirements through design, prototyping, fabrication, testing, and iteration, collaborating with internal and external resources to deliver practical, high-quality solutions. The work of this team is essential for rapidly developing the accessories, products, tools, and supporting hardware needed to bring NEO into homes. Key outcomes include delivering functional, validated prototypes and products, independently driving multiple projects, developing practical mechanical designs, building strong relationships with fabrication resources, and identifying and resolving issues through hands-on testing and iteration.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, product development, prototyping, or a similar hands-on hardware development role.
• Demonstrated experience taking physical products or prototypes from concept through design, fabrication, assembly, and testing.
• Strong mechanical CAD and design skills, with an understanding of manufacturing processes and practical fabrication constraints.
• Experience independently managing multiple hardware projects with competing priorities.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Mechanical intuition: Strong fundamentals in mechanical design and understanding of how parts are fabricated, assembled, and used.
• End-to-end ownership: Comfortable owning the full lifecycle of a project, from requirements and design through fabrication, testing, iteration, and delivery.
• Adaptability: Ability to context-switch between very different projects and comfort working outside a narrow engineering specialization when the project requires it.

Nice To Haves

• Portfolio demonstrating prototypes, products, or hardware projects personally designed and built.
• Experience working with machine shops, contract manufacturers, and other external fabrication partners.
• Hands-on experience with rapid prototyping processes such as 3D printing, machining, sheet metal, casting, or other fabrication methods.
• Experience developing consumer products, accessories, or products intended for real-world customer use.
• Exposure to electrical, manufacturing, or other multidisciplinary engineering work beyond mechanical design.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end development of physical products and prototypes that support the NEO ecosystem beyond the core robot.
• Take projects from unclear requirements through design, prototyping, fabrication, testing, and iteration.
• Work directly with stakeholders and internal and external resources to deliver practical, high-quality solutions.
• Deliver functional, validated prototypes and products from concept through fabrication and testing, balancing speed, quality, cost, and performance.
• Independently drive multiple projects simultaneously, establishing requirements, priorities, and execution plans even when the initial problem is ambiguous.
• Develop practical mechanical designs that can be rapidly prototyped, tested, iterated, and transitioned to appropriate manufacturing methods when needed.
• Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, machine shops, vendors, and other fabrication resources to ensure projects move quickly from design to physical hardware.
• Identify issues through hands-on testing and iteration, using learnings to improve design performance, reliability, usability, and manufacturability.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
• 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
• Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
• Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
• Onsite snacks and catered lunches

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior