Mechanical Engineering Lead

Molg•Sterling, VA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Molg is seeking a Mechanical Engineering Lead to join their cross-functional team. This role involves designing, developing, and validating end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) for robotic microfactories. The position requires hands-on work with multi-DOF grippers, compliant linkages, actuated fingers, and force-controlled contact systems. The Mechanical Engineering Lead will own the full design cycle from concept to production validation and lead a small team of mechanical engineers. The company's mission is to tackle the growing e-waste problem by enabling circular manufacturing with robotics and design. Their robotic microfactories autonomously disassemble complex electronic products, and they partner with leading manufacturers to design electronics with reuse in mind. Molg combines advanced robotics and intelligent software to transform electronics manufacturing and recovery, working with partners like HP, hyperscalers, ABB, and Stanley Black & Decker.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field (Master's a plus).
5–8 years of experience in mechanical design, with at least 2 years in a technical lead or team lead capacity.
Hands-on experience designing articulating mechanisms — grippers, compliant linkages, actuated systems, or similar.
Proficiency in CAD tools (SolidWorks, Fusion, or equivalent) and engineering analysis methods.
Experience with DFM and mechanical testing and validation processes.
Strong communication skills and experience working in cross-functional product or project teams.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with automation systems, robotics integration, or microfactory environments is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the design and development of end of arm tooling — grippers, fixtures, and compliance mechanisms — for automated electronics disassembly.
Define tooling requirements in collaboration with robotics, automation, and operations teams.
Perform mechanical analysis (stress, tolerance, kinematic) to validate designs before fabrication.
Oversee prototyping, testing, and iterative refinement of EOAT systems.
Ensure designs meet reliability, repeatability, and cycle-time targets in production environments.
Apply DFM principles to minimize cost and lead time.
Serve as Technical Lead Manager for a small team of mechanical engineers — assign tasks, set milestones, and track deliverables across the EOAT workstream.
Conduct design reviews, provide technical feedback, and maintain quality standards across the team's output.
Mentor junior and mid-level engineers, supporting their technical growth and career development.
Act as the primary technical point of contact for EOAT within the project team.
Partner with robotics, software, and manufacturing teams to integrate EOAT into the broader automated disassembly system.
Communicate design status, risks, and dependencies to project leads and stakeholders.
Contribute to project planning with realistic engineering estimates and technical input.
Help resolve integration issues and unblock teams during implementation phases.
Maintain design documentation, BOMs, drawings, and revision history to engineering standards.
Establish best practices for EOAT design, testing protocols, and knowledge sharing within the team.
Support lessons-learned processes to continuously improve tooling reliability and development speed.