Mechanical Engineer (Ph.D.)

Exponent Inc.•Natick, MA

3d•$135,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

Exponent is seeking a Mechanical Engineer for its Mechanical Engineering Practice in the Boston area office in Natick, MA. This role involves analyzing mechanical and material failures, often by designing and building custom mechatronic test systems to replicate real-world incidents or assess long-term product reliability. The work supports a diverse range of products, including consumer electronics, medical devices, and emerging applications in robotics and physical AI. The position requires growth in technical expertise and effective communication skills 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