Mechatronics Engineer

This role is with a stealth-mode robotics startup backed by a16z with a $120M seed round, founded by DeepMind pioneers who built the algorithms that made general robot intelligence possible. The company is building world models for humanoid robotics — the AI brain that lets robots understand and act in the physical world right out of the box. Further details about the company will be shared in later stages of the hiring process.

The Opportunity

The company is looking for a Mechatronics Engineer to own the design, integration, and bring-up of hardware systems across the humanoid robot platform. You will work at the intersection of mechanical design, electronics, and embedded systems — designing electromechanical subsystems, integrating actuators and sensors, and ensuring hardware performs reliably in a fleet of 100+ deployed robots.

 This is a hands-on, end-to-end ownership role. You will work closely with software, firmware, and research teams to close the loop between physical hardware and the world models running on top of it. The best candidates come from companies like 1X, Figure, Agility, or Boston Dynamics — engineers who have built and shipped real hardware on real humanoid or high-DOF robotic platforms.

What You’ll Do

• •      Own mechanical and electromechanical design of robot subsystems including actuators, joints, sensor mounts, cable routing, and structural integration


• •      Integrate motors, encoders, IMUs, force/torque sensors, and other sensing and actuation systems into compact, high-DOF robot assemblies


• •      Bring up hardware at the board, subsystem, and full-robot level — debugging across mechanical, electrical, and firmware boundaries


• •      Work directly with firmware and embedded software engineers to define hardware/software interfaces, validate control behavior, and resolve integration issues


• •      Design for reliability and manufacturability — accounting for thermal performance, tolerances, assembly constraints, and long-duration operation across a deployed fleet


• •      Run structured validation and characterization tests; analyze field data from deployed robots to identify and drive hardware improvements


• •      Collaborate with research and software teams to ensure hardware captures what the world model needs to learn from

You Should Have

• •      3+ years of hands-on mechatronics experience designing and integrating hardware for robotic or high-reliability electromechanical systems


• •      Experience integrating actuators, sensors, and drive electronics into tightly packaged mechanical assemblies


• •      Strong CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Onshape, NX, or equivalent) for complex electromechanical assemblies


• •      Hands-on experience with hardware bring-up, debugging, and validation across mechanical and electrical system boundaries


• •      Comfort reading schematics, working with PCBs, and debugging embedded interfaces such as CAN, SPI, or I2C


• •      Track record of owning hardware from prototype through production or deployment on real systems

Nice to Have

• •      Experience at a humanoid robotics company such as 1X, Figure, Agility, or Boston Dynamics


• •      Background in high-DOF robotic platforms, dexterous manipulation, or legged locomotion systems


• •      Familiarity with motor control fundamentals including FOC, torque control, and actuator characterization


• •      Experience with fleet-scale hardware operations — maintaining, diagnosing, and improving deployed robots