Advisory Mechanical Hardware Engineer

Advisory Mechanical / Hardware Engineer

Ricoh USA — Boulder R&D

Versatile hardware engineer for a small Boulder R&D team working across inkjet, robotics, machine vision, and renewable energy programs. You’ll contribute to mechanical and electromechanical design from benchtop proof‑of‑concept through production hardware, including:

• A renewable energy program advancing next‑generation solar cell manufacturing
• A UR‑based collaborative palletizing system on a path to CE marking and contract manufacturing
• Continuous‑feed inkjet inspection platforms and their expansion across our automation product roadmap

When mechanical workload ebbs, you’ll flex into software:
Python and C++ for robotics, image processing, and high‑throughput image processing pipelines. We use Claude Code for software and hardware work — comfort with agentic AI tooling is a real differentiator.

• Contribute to mechanical/electromechanical design end‑to‑end: idea → concept → POC → DVT → production hardware
• Design EOAT, base frames, electrical and pneumatic systems for robotics and automation
• Design industrial control panels, cable harnesses, and enclosures — component selection, circuit design, panel layout, routing, and grounding
• Scope and ship one‑off / bespoke automation builds — purpose‑built rigs and process automation where you own the design from ambiguous brief to working hardware
• Build robust optical/imaging fixtures (lighting, motion, alignment) for inline inspection systems
• Generate manufacturing‑ready documentation: 3D CAD, electrical schematics, BOMs, assembly/work instructions, test protocols
• Partner with software/controls on integration: motion/vision triggers, sensor interfaces, PLC and robot controller communications
• Contribute to safety and certification work: risk assessment, Performance Level analysis, CE marking, EMC/LVD/RoHS, and US NRTL paths where applicable
• Flex into hardware‑adjacent applied software when HW workload is light

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or closely related field; MS a plus
• Demonstrated track record of delivering multiple complex electromechanical products from POC through production — as a key contributor, not a peripheral one
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (NX, Solidworks, or equivalent) and electrical schematic tools (AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, or equivalent)
• Sheet metal and machined part design experience — DFM for bending, machining, and assembly; GD&T; experience working directly with fab shops
• Hands‑on with EOAT/gripper design, pneumatics, motion systems, sensors, and control‑cabinet design and wiring
• Python or C++ for embedded/robotic systems;
  Linux proficiency
• Experience with machine vision / imaging hardware integration (cameras, lighting, lensing, calibration)
• Strong systems thinking; thrives in a fast‑moving, multi‑project R&D environment

• Robotics software: ROS 2 (Move It 2, ROS 2 Control, TF2), UR programming (URCaps, safety configuration, controller integration)
• Bespoke / one‑off automation experience — integrator‑style builds, purpose‑built machines for a single customer or process (vs. high‑volume catalog products)
• Product certification: CE/UKCA, UL/CSA/NRTL, EMC pre‑compliance; EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230
• Advanced vision & compute:
  Stereo/RGB‑D (6
  
  DoF pose, object detection), high‑throughput image processing pipelines, GPU acceleration
• Contract‑manufacturing transfer: documentation packages, quality systems, production handoff
• Precision equipment industry: inkjet, semiconductor, thin‑film, or web/roll‑to‑roll manufacturing environments
• Agile / Scrum: sprint planning, backlog grooming, iterative delivery

• Comfortable navigating loosely‑defined problems and shipping working hardware without a fully spec'd brief
• Embraces shifting priorities — focus moves between programs as priorities shift
• Equally strong working independently and as part of a small team
• Comfortable with AI coding tools and willing to explore emerging AI‑assisted engineering workflows

• Cope with stressors and demands that are associated with the job and/or the work environment so that acceptable and defined levels of…