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Staff Mechanical Engineer – Upper Body Tech Lead

Apptronik· Hardware
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Austin, TXfull-timePosted 3mo ago

About the role

Staff Mechanical Engineer to serve as the technical lead for Apollo’s upper body, owning architecture, design, integration, and verification of the torso, head, and arms. Focus on high-performance, compact packaging with high-density electronics, sensors, thermal management, and translating industrial design into functional A-surfaces.

Responsibilities

  • Define the mechanical architecture for the torso, head, and arms and lead trade-off studies between mass distribution, ROM, and structural rigidity.
  • Bridge between Industrial Design and Engineering; incorporate ID intent into final A-surfaces while preserving design language, wall thickness, cooling vents, and IP/thermal requirements.
  • Manage surfacing of the robot skin and ensure transitions between structural elements and aesthetic covers while maintaining IP and thermal venting requirements.
  • Drive development of high-performance kinematic structures for limbs and design mechanisms to handle extreme dynamic loads with precision for human-like manipulation.
  • Lead chassis design to protect internal electronics from high-energy impact events using advanced materials and topology optimization.
  • Lead tight-space integration of compute clusters (NVIDIA Jetson/SoMs), battery modules, and perception sensors within torso and head.
  • Architect wiring harness routing through high-flex joints ensuring multi-million cycle reliability and signal integrity.
  • Define and execute Design Verification Test (DVT) plan for the upper body stack including environmental, vibration, and lifecycle testing.
  • Mentor engineers through deep-dive design reviews and establish company-wide standards for high-performance robotic design.

Qualifications

  • Proven ability to lead technical initiatives and align cross-functional stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
  • Expert-level surfacing proficiency with Class-A surfaces and complex geometries; proficiency in SolidWorks, NX, Catia, and related surfacing tools.
  • Proven track record of designing multi-axis robotic arms or high-DOF dynamic mechanisms.
  • Exceptional skills in tight-space integration; experience with ruggedized electronics packaging or automotive/aerospace interiors is a plus.

Skills

Required:Mechanical design of complex robotic systemsClass-A surfacingIndustrial Design integrationPackaging and tight-space integrationSystems engineering leadership
Last updated Aug 2, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Apptronik

One Platform for the Future of Work

Apptronik designs humanoid robotics platforms with mobility, manipulation, and human-centered interaction to support people in the workplace.

3PLApolloApollo for ManufacturingApollo for RetailApollo for WarehouseBuilt for the Real WorldForm That Fits the WorkGoods-to-Person
Company profileWebsite

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