Mechanical Engineer; Ph.D

Mechanical Engineer (Ph.D.)

Job :  |

Location:

Natick, MA, US | Practice:
Mechanical Engineering | Position Type:
Full-time | Workplace Type:
On-Site | Posted Salary Range: USD $ - $ /Yr.

We are currently seeking a Mechanical Engineer for our Mechanical Engineering Practice in our Boston area office in Natick, MA. In this role, you will be responsible for analyzing a broad range of mechanical and material failures—often by designing and building custom mechatronic test systems to replicate real-world incidents or assess long-term product reliability. Your work will support a diverse set of products, from consumer electronics and medical devices to emerging applications in robotics and physical AI.

You will be expected to grow in key consulting areas, including technical expertise, and effective spoken and written communications, to develop a consulting practice serving clients both within and outside the firm.

• Conduct hands‑on analyses of mechanical equipment failures to understand what happened and identify the cause, collaborating with experts across engineering disciplines.
• Create written reports and presentations and deliver these communications to both technical and non‑technical clients.
• Support an expansive internal client base that collaboratively solves complex, real‑world problems associated with various types of mechanical equipment.
• Design, build, and validate custom mechatronic test fixtures for incident recreation, durability, and reliability studies. This includes programming controllers, integrating sensors and actuators, and developing closed‑loop control systems to produce robust, regulatory‑grade data.
• Interpret and clearly communicate the results of complex computational analyses (e.g., FEA and CFD) to clients, legal teams, and regulatory bodies.
• Apply mechanical engineering principles to assess the reliability and safety of robotic and automated systems, including those in physical AI workflows.
• Perform calculations and analyses, produce written reports and presentations, and conduct field inspections.

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field with an emphasis on mechatronics, robotics, physical AI, or control systems.
• Completion of formal coursework in machine design, mechanics of materials, and control systems.
• Familiarity with regulated environments (e.g., for medical devices or consumer products) and an understanding of the verification and validation required to generate regulatory‑grade experimental data.
• Experience performing failure analysis and/or fatigue analysis.
• Strong aptitude for interpreting results from computational platforms (e.g., FEA, CFD) and a working knowledge of associated numerical analysis tools such as MATLAB or Python.
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience designing and building electromechanical or mechatronic systems, including specifying components like motors and load cells and utilizing platforms like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or LabVIEW for data acquisition and control.
• Experience with engineering drawings and/or CAD.
• Experience with mechanical design.
• Hands‑on work or research experience.
• Willingness to work in new technical areas.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Ability to work within project teams.
• Potential for technical and project managerial leadership.
• Interest in developing a client base.
• Willingness to travel.
• Presently legally authorized to work in the United States. No immigration sponsorship or processing required.

Compensation includes a competitive base salary, bi‑weekly bonuses for high‑intensity efforts, an annual bonus, and a 401(k) employer contribution of 7% of base salary. Additional benefits information can be found at

Exponent is a proud equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may email us at H