Senior Mechanical Engineer

Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer – Boston Dynamics

Join the Boston Dynamics team to advance the next‑generation humanoid robot, Atlas. In this role, you will focus on designing and developing the grippers that enable Atlas to manipulate objects with strength, dexterity, and tactile fidelity in dynamic real‑world environments.

• Contribute to the design of key gripper subsystems from concept to production‑ready hardware.
• Develop and analyze mechanisms that balance dexterity, payload, and reliability under demanding use cases.
• Apply engineering fundamentals across materials, tribology, thermals, and tolerance stack‑ups to achieve robust, repeatable performance.
• Use CAD (3DX/Catia) and analysis tools to model, simulate, and validate designs.
• Collaborate with electrical, controls, and manufacturing engineers to ensure clean integration and testability.
• Support prototyping, bring‑up, and issue resolution throughout the product lifecycle.

• Strong fundamentals in mechanics, dynamics, and materials with a track record of building precision mechanisms.
• Fluency in CAD and experience managing complex assemblies with tight packaging and motion constraints.
• Experience with precision actuation hardware—tendon‑, gear‑driven systems, elastomeric contacts, or compliant joints.
• Ability to balance competing requirements of performance, manufacturability, and reliability.

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related field with 8+ years of experience, M.S. with 6+ years, or PhD with 3+ years.
• Experience designing and delivering hardware from concept through validation.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of mechanical designs in multidisciplinary projects.
• Advanced CAD skill (Catia, NX, Solidworks, etc.) including part and assembly level FEA and topology optimization.
• Working knowledge of ASME drafting standards including GD&T (Y14.5‑2018).
• Experience transitioning early designs to product stages (NPI, EVT, DVT).
• Soft skills:
  
  creative, team‑first thinking; attention to detail; strong technical communication; mentorship.

A brief portfolio of images with short descriptions of recent work is required via either a web link or PDF.

The base pay range for this position is $130,000 to $190,000 annually, depending on internal equity, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. Boston Dynamics offers a generous benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off, and an annual bonus structure.

Location:

Waltham, MA (Boston Dynamics headquarters).