Staff Mechanical Design Engineer

Aurora Innovation•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

Aurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly. The Aurora Driver will create a new era in mobility and logistics, one that will bring a safer, more efficient, and more accessible future to everyone. At Aurora, you will tackle massively complex problems alongside other passionate, intelligent individuals, growing as an expert while expanding your knowledge. For the latest news from Aurora, visit aurora.tech or follow us on LinkedIn. Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all. Aurora is seeking a Staff Mechanical Design Engineer for the Compute Product Engineering team within the HPE (Hardware Product Engineering) group. The HPE Mechanical Design team is responsible for the development of all custom hardware modules in the Aurora Driver Kit (ADK) including Compute modules, Sensor Pods, and Lidar. The team works cross-functionally with EE, layout, CAE, Reliability, EMC, NPI, Operations, and other R&D teams to deliver the robust, scalable electro-mechanical solutions that power the Aurora Driver. Our team starts development at the earliest stages of product scoping and technology exploration and carries products through mass production at scale with our manufacturing partners. Role Overview In this role, you will lead the development of our next-generation Aurora Driver Module, which consists of the integration of our Primary Computer and Electronic Control Units for our autonomous vehicle platform known as the Aurora Driver. This role owns mechanical architecture from concept through production, driving robust, manufacturable designs for compute hardware deployed in safety-critical environments. In addition, you will support and sustain products driving autonomously on roads today. This is a high-impact, cross-functional role at the intersection of mechanical design, electronics packaging, and vehicle integration, with responsibility for setting technical direction and mentoring engineers.

Requirements

BS / MS in Mechanical Engineering (or similar) and 8+ years of industry experience in Mechanical Design
Proficient in CAD design & 2D drawing creation using GD&T, Catia 3DX preferred
Prior experience with Contractor Manufacturers in high volume settings, including DFM/DFA, build support, and ECO processes.
Experience designing for harsh environments including shock/vibration and temperature cycling with long term durability
Experience mitigating EMI/EMC through specifications for connector selection, board-level shielding, and wiring harnesses.
Ability to apply a deep understanding of both structural and thermal engineering principles to assess designs and validate simulation outcomes
Proficiency in generating 2D tolerance analysis, including the application of Root Sum Squares (RSS) and Monte Carlo when appropriate
Knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes common to electromechanical products
Experience identifying critical failure modes and reaction plans to mitigate failures
Experience in troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of product and fleet issues
Experience working in multidisciplinary environments (mechanical + electrical + software)
Strong presentation and documentation skills for participating in critical design decisions
Willingness to travel within the US 1-2 times a year and internationally 1-2 times a year

Nice To Haves

Experience with automotive ECUs or high-performance compute systems and integration into vehicles
Experience with high power, high thermal density, and high speed electronics (for example, server / networking design, avionics design, etc) and deep understanding of their integration challenges
Past experience with FEA & CFD, specifically for integrated electronics (Ansys + Icepak preferred)
Experience designing mechanical control outlines (MCO) of PCB assemblies
Experience with designing to Automotive standards, like ISO 16750 and similar
Ability to lead DFMEA creation and execution with a clear understanding of failure modes and mechanisms for electro-mechanical products in a safety critical environment
Experience with supplier management, PPAP, and production ramping
Background in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and/or automotive vehicle design
Proven experience with manufacturing processes, including, but not limited to, High Pressure Die Casting, CNC Milling, Stampings, and Press Brake Bending.

Responsibilities

Lead mechanical design and architecture of ECU systems, including enclosures, thermal management, structural design, and packaging
Own full lifecycle development: concept → prototype → validation → production release
Define system-level requirements and translate into detailed mechanical designs and specifications
Design for high-performance compute systems including:
Thermal solutions (passive/active cooling, application of TIMs, design of heat sinks)
EMI/EMC shielding and grounding strategies
Shock/vibration durability for automotive environments
Optimize packaging for space, weight, thermal constraints, and serviceability
Drive rapid prototyping, bring-up, and iterative validation of ECU hardware
Partner with Reliability to develop and execute validation plans (DV/PV)
Lead root cause analysis and design improvements based on test data
Partner with manufacturing and suppliers for DFM/DFA optimization
Own transition from prototype to production-grade designs
Work closely with electrical, firmware, software, and vehicle integration teams
Drive system-level tradeoffs across multiple domains for critical decision making
Provide technical leadership, design reviews, and mentorship to junior engineers