Senior Systems Research Engineer, Mechanical

Gridware • San Francisco, CA

1d

About The Position

At Gridware, our devices act like the nervous system of the electrical grid - sensing mechanical and electrical disturbances across thousands of miles. As a Senior Systems Research Engineer , you’ll help decode those signals, uncovering the physics behind what our sensors detect and turning that knowledge into better sensing performance and reliability. You’ll bridge the gap between research and engineering, designing experiments, simulations, and hardware-in-the-loop tests that reveal how real-world phenomena - like faults, shocks, or environmental events - translate into measurable signals. Your work will strengthen the grid’s “reflexes,” enabling faster detection, smarter response, and safer communities. This is a highly hands-on, experiment-driven role at the intersection of physics, engineering, and data - ideal for someone who loves using physical intuition, computation, and experimentation to solve real-world problems.

Requirements

• MS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering with 7+ years of industry experience, or PhD with 5+ years.
• Proven track record developing and validating performance requirements for physical, mechatronic, or sensing systems.
• Hands-on experience designing and executing physical experiments, ideally involving dynamic or vibration-based systems.
• Strong fundamentals in dynamics, kinematics, mechanics of materials, vibrations, and/or robotics.
• Proficiency in MATLAB or Python for simulation, data analysis, and scientific computing.

Nice To Haves

• Experience prototyping and testing mechatronic or robotic systems end-to-end (design → build → test → analyze).
• Familiarity with IoT or sensor-integrated systems that capture dynamic, real-world data.
• Strong background in applied mathematics (linear algebra, ODEs, numerical methods, or dynamical systems).
• Understanding of measurement system theory, calibration, and validation.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional research initiatives with tight timelines.

Responsibilities

• Own and be the subject matter expert for our product measurement chains: from the underlying physics of the mechanical phenomena we detect, to their translation into sensor voltage changes, to their algorithmic implementation in firmware.
• Lead the development of product requirements for physical measurements: define the performance needed to measure the meaningful mechanical phenomena that occur around the electrical grid.
• Select and test sensors to these requirements using methods you develop.
• Develop physical experiments and hardware-in the loop testbeds to emulate real-world phenomena and answer scientific questions about technology performance.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including data scientists, product development engineers, and product managers.

Benefits

• Health, Dental & Vision (Gold and Platinum with some providers plans fully covered)
• Paid parental leave
• Alternating day off (every other Monday)
• “Off the Grid”, a two week per year paid break for all employees.
• Commuter allowance
• Company-paid training

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 51-100 employees