Staff Mechanical Engineer – Robotic Hand Design Tech Lead

Apptronik
Austin
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeFunction: Field Service, Maintenance & Skilled TradesExperience: 8+ yearsEducation: bachelorsSkills: ["Mechanical design","Team leadership","Problem solving","Communication"]

Lead the structural design of a next‑gen robotic hand for a humanoid platform, overseeing multi‑DOF finger architecture, joints, and load paths. As technical lead for end-effectors, you’ll balance dexterity, strength, weight, and tactile interaction while coordinating with actuation, controls, and manufacturing teams to deliver production‑ready, safe, high‑performance hand systems for Apollo.

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Apptronik
Apptronik
4 months ago

Staff Mechanical Engineer – Robotic Hand Design Tech Lead

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Source: Company careers pageValidated by: Fursa AI
Last checked: 17 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Lead the structural design of a next‑gen robotic hand for a humanoid platform, overseeing multi‑DOF finger architecture, joints, and load paths. As technical lead for end-effectors, you’ll balance dexterity, strength, weight, and tactile interaction while coordinating with actuation, controls, and manufacturing teams to deliver production‑ready, safe, high‑performance hand systems for Apollo.
Location: Austin
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Field Service, Maintenance & Skilled Trades
Seniority: Sr. Manager level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Own the robotic hand structural architecture, defining the mechanical architecture of a multi‑fingered humanoid hand, including finger topology, joints, palm structure, and load paths.
  • •Lead design of fingers and joints, developing robust multi‑DOF mechanisms and ensuring durability under off‑axis loads, impacts, and real‑world use.
  • •Co‑design with actuation systems, partnering with the actuation team on tendon‑driven or remote actuation designs, including cable routing and wear reduction.
  • •Engineer for contact‑rich, human‑like interaction, designing for grasping, pinching, sliding, and tool use with balanced compliance and stiffness.
  • •Drive structural analysis and durability, owning FEA and validation for stress, fatigue, and impact; address wear, loosening, and material fatigue.

Key Requirements

  • •BS in Mechanical Engineering with a minimum of 8 years of experience in mechanical design of complex robotic systems
  • •Experience leading technical initiatives and aligning cross‑functional stakeholders
  • •Proven ability to work with Class‑A surfaces and complex geometries using surfacing tools (SolidWorks, NX, Catia)
  • •Proven track record designing multi‑axis robotic arms or high‑DOF dynamic mechanisms
  • •Exceptional skills in tight‑space integration and ruggedized electronics packaging or automotive/aerospace interiors are a plus
Experience:8+ yearsRoboticsManufacturing
Education:Bachelor's
Skills:Mechanical designTeam leadershipProblem solvingCommunication
Languages:English
Tech Stack:SolidWorksNXCatiaFEACable routingTendon-drivenDFMDFA

Company Brief

Apptronik
Develops advanced general-purpose robots and robotic limbs for industrial and commercial applications, combining hardware, actuators, and control software to enable versatile, human-scale robot solutions.
Industry: Robotics
Company Size: Medium (51 to 250 employees)
Growth: Growth Stage Startup
Funding: Series A
Headquarters: Austin, United States
Founded: 2018
WebsiteLinkedIn