Staff Mechanical Engineer, Suspension (Autonomous Vehicle Team)

Location: San Francisco, CA

Department: Vehicle Team

Why We Are Hiring for This Role:

• Own suspension system development end-to-end: concept, CAD design, simulation, testing, and validation for off-road electric ATVs.
• Suspension analysis including kinematics, compliance, ride & handling, durability, and off-road performance optimization.
• Design and iterate suspension components (arms, dampers, bushings, linkages, mounts, etc.) in CAD with manufacturability and serviceability in mind.
• Support prototype builds and field testing, diagnosing and resolving mechanical issues quickly.
• Document designs, analyses, and validation results to ensure clear handoff to manufacturing and future iterations

What Kind of Person We Are Looking For:

• 5+ years of experience in suspension design, testing, or vehicle dynamics (off-road, automotive, powersports, or defense preferred)
• Hands-on experience with suspension testing (rig tests, durability, vibration, ride/handling) and data analysis
• Familiarity with structural analysis (FEA for static, fatigue, and crash loads)
• Strong understanding of vehicle dynamics, kinematics, and compliance tuning
• Ability to design for rugged, off-road environments (shock, vibration, corrosion, and dirt/water ingress considerations)
• Experience with chassis frame design, weldment design, and lightweight structures
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or related field
• Experience with suspension analysis tools (e.g., Adams Car, Simpack, Matlab)
• Strong proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks, CATIA, Creo, or equivalent) for suspension and chassis design

Benefits

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

Salary

The annual compensation is expected to be between $175,000 - $210,000+. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.

About the Company

About Foundation:

Foundation is developing the future of general purpose robotics and electric mobility with the goal to save lives and augment human labor. 

Our mission is to create an autonomous, crewless ATV built to be truly all-terrain. Designed for commercial and defense use, it can save lives and take on heavy transport across mining, agriculture, construction, and more.

We are on the lookout for extraordinary engineers and scientists to join our team. Your previous experience in robotics isn't a prerequisite — it's your talent and determination that truly count.

We expect that many of our team members will bring diverse perspectives from various industries and fields. We are looking for individuals with a proven record of exceptional ability and a history of creating things that work.

Our Culture:

We like to be frank and honest about who we are, so that people can decide for themselves if this is a culture they resonate with. Please read more about our culture here https://foundation.bot/culture.

Who should join:

• You like working in person with a team in San Francisco.
• You deeply believe that this is the most important mission for humanity and needs to happen yesterday.
• You are highly technical - regardless of the role you are in. We are building technology; you need to understand technology well.
• You care about aesthetics and design inside out. If it's not the best product ever, it bothers you, and you need to “fix” it.
• You don't need someone to motivate you; you get things done.