Nimble Robotics
Hiring now
San Francisco, California, United States$150k–220kPosted 3 months ago
Nimble Robotics
ApplyNimble is an AI robotics company building the autonomous supply chain to power fast, efficient and economical commerce. We’re training robot AGI to power a proprietary generalist supply chain superhumanoid, the first robot in the world capable of performing thousands of tasks across the supply chain. We’ve raised over $220M at over $1B valuation and formed a strategic alliance with FedEx to build a national network of autonomous warehouses capable of generating many billions in annual revenue. We are a hardcore and obsessed team of the world’s best engineers and operators. If you are obsessed with your craft, enjoy a high-intensity and fast moving high impact environment, are super high agency in getting hard things done and want to be part of building the world’s most legendary robotics company at the most pivotal moment in history, we want to work with you.
We are on a mission to empower and inspire mankind to accomplish legendary feats by inventing robots that liberate us from the menial. We will accomplish this by training robot AGI to invent and build the Autonomous Supply Chain – everything from the inside of factories and warehouses to your front door – powered by generalist superhumanoids.
Our founding team comes from the AI labs at Stanford and Carnegie Mellon and our board of directors include famed robotics and AI legends including Fei-Fei Li (Chief Scientist of AI at Google and Director of Stanford’s AI Lab), Marc Raibert (founder of Boston Dynamics), and Sebastian Thrun (founder of GoogleX, Waymo; Stanford Professor and considered the father of autonomous vehicles).
Let’s be legendary.
Position Overview
As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, you will own the mechanical design of the systems that power Nimble's robotic platforms — from structures and mechanisms through precision assemblies and production-ready hardware. You'll work at the core of the mechanical discipline: machine design, structural and stress analysis, GD&T and tolerancing, materials, and design for manufacturing — and you'll partner closely with controls, electrical, embedded, and perception teams to integrate your designs into complete robotic systems. You'll own your parts well beyond the design itself — driving part quality, supporting the supply chain, and relentlessly taking cost out as we scale from prototype to high-volume production.
This is a role for a hardcore mechanical engineer. We're looking for someone whose craft is mechanical engineering itself — who cares about datum schemes, tolerance stacks, load paths, and manufacturability — and who is comfortable interfacing with electromechanical systems without needing to own the controls or firmware. If you love turning hard mechanical problems into robust, manufacturable hardware, we want to talk.
Key Responsibilities
• Own the mechanical design and architecture of robotic subsystems — structures, mechanisms, frames, housings, and precision assemblies — from concept through production deployment. This engineer will own the frame design, new warehouse layout design, and automation equipment integration
• Produce production-grade engineering drawings with GD&T (ASME Y14.5): sound datum schemes, functional tolerancing, and tolerance stack-up analysis that suppliers can build from without guessing
• Develop detailed 3D CAD models and assemblies, and drive system-level mechanical design decisions
• Perform engineering calculations, hand calcs, structural/stress analysis, and FEA to ensure performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Design for manufacturability (DFM), assembly (DFA), reliability, serviceability, and cost
• Select and integrate mechanical and electromechanical components — bearings, gears, transmissions, and fasteners, along with the motors, gearboxes, and sensors your designs interface with
• Partner with controls, software, electrical, embedded, perception, and manufacturing teams to deliver integrated robotic systems
• Lead prototype builds, debugging, root-cause investigations, and field performance improvements
• Establish and execute validation plans, reliability testing, and qualification procedures
• Support the supply chain across the product lifecycle — support sourcing and supplier selection, drive supplier development and second-sourcing, and resolve component and manufacturability issues fast to keep builds on schedule
• Own part quality for the components you design — define inspection and measurement requirements on your drawings, lead first-article inspection, and drive root-cause and corrective action on nonconformances alongside suppliers and the quality team
• Drive cost reduction across new and existing parts — through tolerancing, material, and process choices, value engineering (VA/VE), and design-to-cost — to hit unit-cost targets as we scale
• Support the transition from prototype to production, including documentation, manufacturing support, and quality improvements
• Mentor engineers and contribute to mechanical engineering best practices, drawing standards, and design reviews
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
• 7+ years developing complex mechanical or electromechanical hardware
• Deep mechanical engineering expertise: machine design, mechanisms, structural and stress analysis, solid mechanics, materials, and product development
• Strong, demonstrable GD&T fluency (ASME Y14.5) — you can define a datum scheme, defend a tolerance stack, and produce release-ready drawings
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent
• Solid understanding of manufacturing processes — machining, sheet metal, injection molding, weldments, and assembly methods — and how design choices drive cost and yield
• Track record of driving part quality and cost reduction with suppliers — first-article inspection, supplier development, root-cause/corrective action, and tolerance, material, and process trade-offs made with cost and quality in mind
• Comfortable interfacing with electrical, controls, and embedded systems: you design mechanical systems that integrate cleanly with motors, sensors, and electronics, without needing to own circuit design or control loops
• Experience with prototyping, testing, troubleshooting, and system integration
• Ability to interpret test data and drive engineering decisions through quantitative analysis
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams
Preferred Qualifications
• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline
• Experience with industrial robotics, warehouse automation, or autonomous systems
• Experience with FEA, dynamic simulations, and tolerance stack-up analysis
• Familiarity with model-based definition (MBD)
• Experience scaling products from prototype to high-volume manufacturing
• Experience with value analysis / value engineering (VA/VE), design-to-cost, or supplier-quality programs
• Familiarity with reliability engineering and field-deployed hardware
• Experience leading technical projects and mentoring engineers
In this role, you will:
• Deliver robust mechanical subsystems that meet performance, reliability, and cost targets..
• Improve system throughput, uptime, and operational efficiency..
• Accelerate product development through effective cross-functional collaboration..
• Drive engineering excellence across design, analysis, testing, and deployment activities..
• Contribute to Nimble's long-term robotics platform strategy and innovation roadmap..
What's exciting about this role?
• Build industry-leading robotic systems solving complex real-world challenges
• Work alongside world-class engineers in robotics, AI, software, and automation
• Directly influence products deployed in large-scale fulfillment operations
• Take ownership of critical mechanical systems from concept through production
• Competitive compensation, equity participation, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for professional growth