Senior Mechanical Engineer

Rugged Robotics•Houston, TX

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Rugged Robotics is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to join their Hardware team. This role will be responsible for mechanical subsystems from concept through production release and sustaining. The engineer will apply their experience in actuators, electro-mechanical systems, and robotics to improve existing products, develop new prototypes, and contribute to the design of future machines. The position involves leading subsystem projects, mentoring engineers, and collaborating with cross-functional teams including electrical and software engineers, field operators, and manufacturing personnel. The role is based in Houston, TX, and requires working on-site around robots in the lab.

Requirements

6+ years of experience designing products involving robotics or other complex electro-mechanical systems.
Well-versed in actuators, sensors, BLDC motors, bearings, speed reducers, and other machine elements used in robotic applications.
Seasoned in the full product development cycle from concept through production.
Experience carrying a new product through certification, reliability growth, and scaling.
Analytical thinker who backs design choices with objective data, running quick tests and collecting measurements.
Comfortable selecting electro-mechanical components supported by static & dynamic analysis.
Experience determining ideal materials & manufacturing methods.
Experience creating part designs optimized for manufacturing & assembly.
Familiar with engineering analysis techniques including tolerance analysis, FEA, motor equations, fluid flow, and thermal analysis.
Hands-on experience building and debugging electro-mechanical systems.
Experience troubleshooting field failures with customers.
Experience leading initiatives within a team.
Practiced in mentoring engineers.
Highly collaborative across functional boundaries (Software, Electrical, Manufacturing, Field Engineers).
Comfortable working autonomously in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience carrying a product through formal certification (e.g., UL, CE, or similar safety and compliance regimes).
Comfortable creating Python scripting for testing, data analysis, and debugging.
Familiarity with thermal management of dense, highly integrated electro-mechanical assemblies.
Exposure to fluid systems and chemical/material compatibility.
Background in manufacturing and standing up a production line.
A portfolio, project site, or robot built.

Responsibilities

Own the full product lifecycle of actuators, structures, and enclosures: detailed design, testing, debugging, and refinement, then scaling through validation, manufacturing ramp, and deployment.
Apply lessons learned to architect future generations of products.
Study system behavior across mechanical, electrical, and software boundaries to improve performance of sensor suites through calibration, advanced algorithms, and early failure warning signs.
Drive reliability and safety compliance efforts for international expansion by planning and executing tests, root-causing failures, implementing fixes, and assembling documentation for certification.
Make informed and objective engineering decisions by determining actuator load cases, specifying components (BLDC motors, speed reducers, sensors, bearings), and backing choices with analysis, simulations, and experiments.
Use SOLIDWORKS to create parts, assemblies, and dimensioned drawings using GD&T per ASME Y14.5, covering injection molding, CNC machining, metal casting, and sheet metal.
Provide technical direction and mentorship to the hardware team on complex engineering challenges.
Lead subsystem projects with minimal guidance according to company objectives.
Engage and collaborate with international vendors to refine designs and deliver hardware to meet project timelines.