Mechanical Engineer - Fiber and Composite Structures

About 1X

We’re an AI and robotics company based in Palo Alto, California, on a mission to build a truly abundant society through general-purpose robots capable of performing any kind of work autonomously.

We believe that to truly understand the world and grow in intelligence, humanoid robots must live and learn alongside us. That’s why we’re focused on developing friendly home robots designed to integrate seamlessly into everyday life.

We’re looking for curious, driven, and passionate people who want to help shape the future of robotics and AI. If this mission excites you, we’d be thrilled to hear from you and explore how you might contribute to our journey.

At 1X, we believe physical capability emerges at the intersection of mechanics, materials, and control. The next generation of humanoids and physical AI interfaces will be enabled by mechanical structures that are strong, compliant, quiet, and durable over years of real world use. Our vertically integrated approach allows mechanical engineers to directly shape how robots interact with people and their environment through structure, motion, and load paths.

We are seeking a Mechanical Engineer specializing in fiber and composite structures to design, integrate, and validate load bearing fiber based components used in humanoid robots. This role focuses on mechanical design, systems integration, prototyping, testing, and verification of fiber assemblies such as fiber reinforced components that operate under cyclic load, friction, and wear.

• Design mechanical components and subassemblies using fiber assemblies and composite materials for dynamic load bearing applications.
• Own the integration of fiber assemblies into mechanical systems including routing, anchoring, terminations, and interfaces with hardware and passive safety systems.
• Develop and prototype fiber based components and iterate designs based on test feedback.
• Define load cases, duty cycles, and environmental conditions for fiber assemblies in robotic systems.
• Plan and execute mechanical testing including tensile, fatigue, creep, wear, friction, noise, and vibration testing.
• Develop verification and validation plans to ensure fiber based components meet lifetime, safety, and performance requirements.
• Analyze failure modes including fatigue damage, creep deformation, wear, and interface degradation and feed learnings back into design.
• Work closely with materials teams to select appropriate fibers, constructions, coatings, and matrices based on system requirements.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and supply chain teams to ensure designs are producible, repeatable, and scalable.

• PhD in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, textile engineering, or a closely related field.
• Strong foundation in solid mechanics, fatigue, fracture, tribology, and structural dynamics.
• Hands on experience designing and testing mechanical components under cyclic load.
• Experience with prototyping and experimental validation including test fixture design and data analysis.
• Ability to translate material behavior and test data into mechanical design decisions.
• Experience working across disciplines including materials, manufacturing, and controls.
• Comfort operating in a fast moving, prototype driven environment.
• Strong communication skills and ability to present design tradeoffs and verification results clearly.

• Salary Range: $152,000 - $206,000 + Equity
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and holidays

1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.