Senior Mechanical Engineer at Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Corporation – Vancouver, Washington

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, you bring exceptional mechanical and mechatronics design skills, with proven hands-on experience in designing and optimizing complex mechanisms to meet multiple objectives. You have a strong track record of contributing to the development of systems that scale from prototypes to mid-to-high volume production.

• Deliver innovative, high-impact designs that meet ambitious performance targets, setting the standard for excellence within the organization.

• Apply advanced expertise in mechanical and mechatronics design, optimization, and manufacturing, solving complex problems at the intersection of creativity and engineering precision.

• Develop groundbreaking robotic hands that match or exceed human performance across dexterity, strength, and reliability, and integrate them seamlessly into a world-class general-purpose robot.

• Drive innovation in cutting-edge technologies, including high power-density actuation, compact and precise mechanisms, and advanced sensing systems, ensuring the team remains at the forefront of robotics engineering.

• Demonstrate technical leadership, mentoring junior engineers, co-ops, and peers instilling best practices and quality of work amongst the team.

• Bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, engineering physics, robotics, or a closely related technical field; or equivalent extensive professional experience in designing and developing complex electromechanical systems.

• 6-9 years of professional experience with 3D CAD tools, with a focus on designing complex, high-performance electromechanical systems.

• Proven track record of leading designs from concept through production in a fast-paced, iterative development environment.

• Comprehensive experience working through the entire product lifecycle, including design, prototyping, validation, manufacturing, and deployment of high-performance electromechanical assemblies.

• Demonstrated ability to optimize designs for performance, cost, manufacturability, and reliability while balancing competing priorities.

• Strong understanding of materials science, manufacturing processes, and their application in mid- to high-volume production.

• Experience collaborating across multidisciplinary teams

• Expertise in the specification, design, and analysis of mechanical components such as gears, actuators, bearings, and other precision mechanisms.

• Hands-on proficiency in prototyping, robotics, mechatronics, and fabrication techniques, including machining and 3D printing.

• Advanced knowledge of manufacturing processes, including creating detailed drawings, applying GD&T, and coordinating with manufacturers.

• Proven experience implementing DFM and DFA principles to streamline production and reduce costs

• Expertise in designing and optimizing complex, moving mechanical assemblies, ensuring performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

• Proficient with change management and change implementation processes

• Strong problem solving and risk management skills. Experience with DFMEA, 8D and similar methods is a strong asset.

• Experience with engineering for reliability, including durability, lifecycle analysis, and failure prevention.

• Proficiency in simulation and analysis tools, such as CFD, FEA, thermal simulation, and design optimization techniques.

• Above all else, a consistently positive attitude and a willingness to do whatever it takes

• Empathetic listening and conflict resolution capabilities

• Demonstrated ability to influence others without authority

• Eager to take on new challenges with tenacity and positivity

• Patience, persistence, and attention to detail when resolving performance issues

• You would rather work on robots than do pretty much anything else

• Obsession with bringing human-like intelligence to machines.

• Strong mentorship and leadership development skills to foster sustained team growth, ensuring all technicians have the support to expand their skills and knowledge.

Sanctuary is an equal opportunity employer; employment with Sanctuary is governed based on skills, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced in any way by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

Sanctuary offers a market-leading compensation package that includes competitive salaries, equity stakes, and a full suite of benefits for permanent employees, encompassing health coverage, paid time off, cutting-edge work facilities, and worksite flexibility by role. Our commitment to fairness ensures that our total compensation consistently surpasses market standards.

Founded in 2018, Sanctuary builds humanoid robots and a novel control system for them that integrates symbolic logic and reasoning with data-driven robot foundation models. We use our robots to collect vision, audio, touch, and proprioception data from the perspective of the robot while they perform real-world work tasks. We use that data to train multimodal robot foundation models. Because our systems are vertically integrated, we can design, deploy, and refine at scale. Our mission is to create the world's first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots.