Staff Mechatronics Engineer

Department: Hardware

Location: Mountain View

Compensation: $225K – $280K • Offers Equity

Employment Type: FullTime

At Rhoda AI, we’re building the next generation of generalist intelligent robots. We own the full robotics stack from high-performance hardware and robot systems to the infrastructure and state-of-the-art foundation world models that control our robots. Our robots are designed to be generalists capable of operating in complex, real-world environments and handling long-tail edge cases, made possible by our cutting edge research and end-to-end system design. We've raised over $450M and are investing aggressively in model research, infrastructure, hardware development, and manufacturing scale-up to make generalist robotics a reality.

You will own the full mechatronic architecture of our UMI (Universal Manipulation Interface) data collection platform — from first prototype to mass-produced fleet hardware. This is a staff-level role with end-to-end ownership: you define the architecture, make the hard cross-subsystem tradeoffs, drive the transition from lab prototype to manufacturable product, and ensure the device performs reliably at scale across global operator sites. Motor control and firmware are owned separately; everything else is yours.

What You'll Do

• Own the mechatronic architecture of the UMI device — mechanical structure, gripper kinematics, sensor integration, and all physical subsystem interfaces

• Drive the full hardware lifecycle: concept → prototype → DVT → mass production; own the design decisions that make each transition possible

• Define and hold mechanical specifications across the program: 2-finger gripper geometry, wrist kinematics, operator ergonomics, weight, balance, and stiffness targets

• Own sensor integration at the hardware level — camera mount geometry, IMU placement, Aruco marker systems, and calibration fixture design; the spatial accuracy of the data pipeline starts with how well sensors are mounted and held

• Lead DFM/DFA from 3D-printed prototype through injection-molded and die-cast production parts; own the BOM, part-level traceability, and supplier qualification process

• Define reliability and durability requirements for fleet deployment; the device ships to dozens of operator sites globally and failure directly cuts data output — you design so it doesn't fail

• Set up and drive DVT/PVT test plans: cycle testing, abuse testing, thermal, and calibration stability across device lifetime

• Interface with the EE team on PCB envelopes, connector placement, and cable routing accommodations — you own the structures and interfaces, they own what's inside

• Lead design reviews, define subsystem requirements, and set the technical bar for the broader hardware team

What You Bring

• Track record taking mechatronic products from prototype through mass production — consumer electronics, robotics, medical devices, wearables, or comparable high-volume precision hardware

• Systems-level fluency across the full stack: mechanism design, sensor integration, DFM, tolerance analysis, supplier management, and reliability engineering

• Deep hands-on experience with DFM/DFA for molded, die-cast, and machined parts; you've owned the factory conversation, not just handed off drawings

• Proven experience integrating sensors — cameras, IMUs, encoders — into precision mechanical structures where mounting geometry and compliance directly affect measurement quality

• Experience setting up and running DVT/PVT programs: test plan definition, failure analysis, design iteration under production constraints

• Staff-level engineering judgment: you know when to iterate fast and when to lock down, and you've made that call under real program pressure

Nice to Have

• Experience with UMI-style, teleoperation, or robot data-capture hardware

• Familiarity with camera calibration pipelines, fiducial marker systems, or 6-DoF spatial tracking

• Experience scaling a device from a handful of lab units to a global deployed fleet

• Prior technical lead or program ownership experience on a hardware product that shipped

• CAD skills and experience with Solidworks or CATIA.