Actuator Gear Design Engineer

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, and integration of custom robotic actuator gearing.
• Define actuator requirements and system-level trade studies covering torque density, bandwidth, efficiency, thermal performance, backdrivability, inertia, reliability, manufacturability, and cost.
• Design precision electromechanical assemblies with attention to tolerances, alignment, load paths, thermal expansion, sealing, wear, and serviceability.
• Drive actuator integration into robotic systems with controls, firmware, electrical, and robotics software teams.
• Develop architectures with integrated sensing and encoder strategies.
• Build and validate prototypes through hands-on bring-up, debugging, characterization, and iterative refinement.
• Develop test methodologies and characterization infrastructure for actuator performance, reliability, durability, and failure analysis.
• Analyze test data to identify limitations, failure modes, and design improvements.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and suppliers to transition designs from prototype to scalable production-ready assemblies.
• Support DFM, DFA, DFT, calibration, and assembly strategies for electromechanical subsystems.
• Contribute to actuator sourcing, vendor qualification, prototype builds, and supply-chain development.
• Document designs, interfaces, validation results, and engineering decisions.
• Establish engineering standards, integration practices, and development workflows for future robotic platforms.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience designing gear systems, robotic actuators, or precision mechatronic hardware.
• Experience developing transmission elements for robotics, automation, aerospace, automotive, or other high-performance dynamic systems.
• Strong understanding of motors, transmissions, bearings, encoders, structural design, thermal management, and precision mechanical integration.
• Familiarity with actuator sensing architectures, encoder integration, and calibration strategies.
• Experience designing for prototype and production manufacturing processes, including machining, casting, molding, and assembly.
• Proficiency with CAD and PLM tools such as NX and Teamcenter or equivalent systems.
• Experience developing validation plans, reliability testing, and failure analysis workflows.
• Experience scaling hardware systems from prototype through high-volume production.
• Ability to collaborate across mechanical, electrical, controls, firmware, robotics software, research, manufacturing, and operations teams.

Nice-to-Haves

• Strong intuition for high-performance gearing tradeoffs involving performance, robustness, manufacturability, and cost.
• Hands-on experience building, debugging, instrumenting, and testing hardware.
• Ability to combine first-principles analysis, rapid prototyping, and production-oriented engineering decisions.
• Experience working with evolving requirements and aggressive technical goals.

Compensation

• Annual salary: $266,000–$380,000.