Mechanical Design Engineer, Body Structures, Frame (Autonomous Vehicle Team)

Foundation
  • San Francisco, California
    30+ days ago

    Job Description

    Why We Are Hiring for This Role:

    • Design and develop the vehicle body and structural architecture to perform across extreme multi-environment conditions—from high-impact off-road shock loads to full water submersion and long-term vibration fatigue
    • Own structural performance from concept through prototype, using FEA and simulation-driven design to rapidly iterate on geometries, reduce material usage, and accelerate development cycles
    • Engineer frame systems that achieve an optimized stiffness-to-weight ratio through thoughtful material selection across steel alloys, aluminum extrusions, and composite structures.
    • Drive rapid prototyping efforts by translating CAD designs into physical builds using CNC machining, welding, sheet metal fabrication, and additive manufacturing
    • Design robust joints and interfaces that account for thermal expansion, corrosion between dissimilar metals, and long-term serviceability in harsh environments
    • Collaborate closely with robotics, suspension, and systems engineering to co-develop structural hardpoints, mounting interfaces, and routing pathways as part of a fully integrated vehicle architecture

    What Kind of Person We Are Looking For:

    • 5+ years of hands-on experience designing and building structural mechanical systems
    • Strong proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks, CATIA, NX, or similar), with a disciplined approach to assemblies, tolerancing, and managing complex multi-part systems
    • Experience using FEA and simulation tools (ANSYS, ADAMS, or similar) to inform design decisions, including structural, fatigue, and modal analysis
    • Practical experience with fabrication processes such as welding, machining, and sheet metal—comfortable working between CAD and the shop floor
    • Solid understanding of materials and their trade-offs in structural applications, including strength, fatigue, corrosion resistance, and weight
    • Experience designing for harsh environments, including water exposure, corrosion, and sealing of structural systems
    • Ability to think in systems—designing structures that integrate cleanly with actuators, wiring, fluid systems, and sensors from the outset

    Benefits

    • We provide market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc.), equity. Join us for the culture and the mission, not for the benefits.

    Salary

    • The annual compensation is expected to be between $150,000 - $250,000. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.

    Numbers & Facts

    LocationSan Francisco, California

    Skills

    • Additive Manufacturingunmatched
    • Analysis Skillsunmatched
    • Automotive Automationunmatched
    • CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing)unmatched
    • CATIA CADunmatched
    • CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) Systemsunmatched
    • Electrical Wiringunmatched
    • Finite Element Analysisunmatched
    • Machiningunmatched
    • Manufacturingunmatched
    • Mechanical Designunmatched
    • Mechanical Engineeringunmatched
    • Metal Manufacturingunmatched
    • Prototypingunmatched
    • Rapid Prototypingunmatched
    • Roboticsunmatched
    • Simulationunmatched
    • SolidWorksunmatched
    • Systems Engineeringunmatched
    • Technical/Engineering Designunmatched
    • Weldingunmatched

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