Contract - Mechanical Engineer

Aescape • New York, NY

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Aescape is seeking an experienced Contract Mechanical Engineer to play a hands-on role in the design and execution of the next generation of their hardware platform. The engineer will work closely with electrical engineering, robotics, manufacturing, and product leadership to translate system requirements into manufacturable, cost-effective, and elegant physical designs. This role involves being embedded in a fast-moving hardware program, making real trade-offs, producing production-ready design outputs, and iterating directly with engineers and suppliers. This role is onsite in their NY HQ.

Requirements

• 7+ years of mechanical engineering experience with complex electromechanical or robotic products.
• Proven experience taking products from concept through production release.
• Strong CAD skills (e.g., SolidWorks or equivalent) including drawings using GD&T to ASME Y14.5-2018.
• Deep understanding of plastics, metals, soft goods, finishes, fastening methods, and tolerance stack-ups.
• Demonstrated experience making disciplined design trade-offs within defined cost and manufacturing constraints.
• Practical knowledge of manufacturing processes such as injection molding, CNC machining, sheet metal, die casting, and extrusion.
• Comfort working in close partnership with electrical engineering, quality and manufacturing teams, resolving trade-offs quickly and pragmatically.
• Ability to move fast, accept ambiguity, and make informed decisions with incomplete information.
• Experience working with overseas manufacturers and interpreting supplier feedback into design changes.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to explain design intent and trade-offs to cross-functional partners.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with the design for soft good, foam, and fabric wrapping.
• Experience with robotics, medical devices, fitness equipment, or other safety-critical hardware.
• Prior work on products with service, refurbishment, or field-maintenance requirements.
• Familiarity with regulatory, safety, or compliance considerations in physical products.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute mechanical engineering workstreams from kick off through production-intent designs.
• Translate system-level requirements (cost, reliability, serviceability, ergonomics, safety) into concrete design outputs.
• Partner tightly with electrical and robotics engineers to resolve constraints around structure, actuation, cabling, cooling, audible noise, access, and assembly.
• Drive design-for-manufacturing (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) decisions across enclosures, covers, interfaces, and subassemblies.
• Contribute to design optimization initiatives, including material selection, part consolidation, fastening strategies, and finish rationalization.
• Develop CAD models and production-ready geometry suitable for tooling and supplier handoff.
• Support prototype builds, control runs, and design validation by rapidly iterating based on test results.
• Contribute to DFMEA activities, ensuring critical failure modes are identified and mitigated through mitigating engineering requirements.

Benefits

• Contract length: 3–6 months (with potential extension based on program needs).
• Competitive contract rate $65 - $80/hour commensurate with experience.
• Opportunity to work on a category-defining physical AI product alongside a senior, experienced hardware team.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed