Staff Mechanical Engineer, Vehicle Platform

Motional•Pittsburgh, PA

44d•Onsite

About The Position

Motional’s Pittsburgh office is located in the new Hazelwood Green development, a culmination of the city’s goal of restoring an economic driver to the neighborhood in a thoughtful, inclusive, and sustainable way. With views along the Monongahela river, the Pittsburgh office is in the heart of this new state of the art development. Mission Summary: Our Vehicle Engineering team, focused on Vehicle and Product Systems in Pittsburgh, is seeking a highly motivated Staff Mechanical Engineer to own and drive complex, cross-functional mechanical design and fabrication initiatives for our next-generation vehicle prototypes and systems. This role will serve as a key technical authority, defining system-level architecture for mechatronic systems for automated driving and leading execution with minimal oversight, ensuring alignment with broad business and product objectives.

Requirements

10+ years relevant experience, preferably in the automotive, robotics, or automation fields, with a proven track record of driving goal-level impact across multiple teams or subsystems.
Expert-level experience designing and fabricating prototypes using advanced CAD tools (e.g., Solidworks and Catia V5) and manual methods.
Expert ability to operate machine tools (mill, press, CNC, etc.), as well as standard mechanics and power tools; extensive experience with 3D printing tools and rapid prototyping techniques for complex systems.
Deep comfort debugging, disassembling, modifying, and installing electrical and mechanical systems in vehicles, anticipating system-level integration challenges.
Expert experience in specifying, integrating, troubleshooting, and testing electronics, motors, and sensors within highly complex mechatronic systems.
Expert-level expertise with manufacturing BOM and ECN processes, and experience with supplier management for high-complexity, cross-functional assemblies.
Proven ability to work effectively within rigid design, integration, and time constraints, delivering high-quality, scalable, and reliable execution.
Advanced proficiency in collaboration, including the ability to build strong partnerships and drive consensus among engineers and stakeholders. Ability to communicate clearly and proactively, ensuring technical risks and trade-offs are well understood across all stakeholders, including occasional work outside of standard hours to accommodate international collaboration.
Someone self-motivated, organized, flexible, and able to balance and prioritize multiple diverse and goal-level initiatives with minimal oversight.
Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering or related field.

Responsibilities

Own complex, cross-functional initiatives that span multiple subsystems or technical domains. Define the system-level architecture and drive execution with minimal oversight, ensuring alignment with business and product objectives. Serve as a key technical authority within the domain and lead others through technical influence rather than formal authority.
Lead the design and drive the end-to-end delivery of complex mechanical components and systems for next-generation in-vehicle prototypes and benchtop systems, such as mechatronic systems for automated driving, requiring coordination across multiple engineering teams.
Create detailed 3D CAD models and robust engineering drawings for manufacturing. Create comprehensive Bills of Materials (BOM) and assembly documentation, anticipating integration and reliability challenges across systems and proactively developing mitigation strategies.
Design, build, and continually improve internal processes, documentation, and structure for the team, focusing on scalability, efficiency, and quality across multiple quarters.
Define and implement rigorous testing plans for vehicles and subsystems. Perform initial testing and debugging of newly-assembled systems, ensuring high-quality, scalable, and reliable engineering solutions that advance department and company objectives.
Build strong partnerships across multiple teams (hardware, software, systems, manufacturing, operations) and disciplines to define requirements, explain complex trade-offs, and drive consensus to integrate complex systems in vehicles.
Provide technical mentorship and guidance to cross-functional team members. Serve as a trusted technical partner and advisor, driving consensus among engineers, product managers, and leadership on complex technical decisions.
Own the manufacturing BOM and Engineering Change Notice (ECN) process for complex systems. Source critical suppliers and parts, creating robust documentation for outsourced components.
Develop and document comprehensive system-level requirements for prototype and production vehicle systems, considering all sub-systems and translating complex technical challenges into measurable business outcomes (e.g., manufacturability, efficiency).
Help define the technical roadmap and architecture, proactively identifying cross-functional dependencies and risks based on technology and business needs.