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Mechanical Design Engineer

Pantograph · San Francisco · United States

Contract
Full time
Occupation
Mechanical Engineer

Posted: 7/27/2026 · Last checked: 11/10/2026

Job description

Quoted in full from Pantograph's job posting. Gavroche does not edit it.

Pantograph is training general models that start by watching internet-scale video and end up on robots. We think the path to capable robots runs through general intelligence rather than narrow, robot-specific skills. We're scaling simple methods across video games, real-world video, and our own fleet of affordable, durable robots.

We're looking for a broadly talented hands-on mechanical engineer to design, prototype, and scale our first generation of robots. Our robots are durable tools, built to survive thousands of hours of real-world operation while still feeling intentional and well-crafted. We want someone who brings product sensibility to machines that are meant to be useful.

Responsibilities:

  • Design parts and assemblies in Onshape that balance load, form factor, durability, cost, and ease of assembly

  • Build and test prototypes rapidly, with an emphasis on reliability and durability

  • Sweat the details of serviceability, transportability, safety, and usability

  • Support procurement by creating engineering drawings, working with suppliers to source parts and ensure final quality

  • Design test fixtures, qualification fixtures, and end-of-line tests

  • Work closely with the rest of the hardware team to take designs from prototype through production

You might be a good fit if you:

  • Have a track record of designing and shipping a physical product at scale (this matters more to us than years of experience or any specific degree)

  • Have experience designing for bent sheet metal and similar flat-pattern fabrication methods.

  • Have experience with cable routing and management, and designing around electronics

  • Have a working knowledge of reliability engineering — MTBF, failure rates, uptime modeling, and basic statistical analysis

  • Ruthlessly prioritize, love moving fast and making tangible progress

  • Communicate clearly and document your work on a small, collaborative team

Nice to have:

  • Broad familiarity with robotic systems — actuators, motors, sensors, and electromechanical integration

  • Experience designing for high-volume manufacturing

  • An eye for the details that make physical products satisfying to own and use

We're a small, fast-moving team working together in person in San Francisco. If this work excites you but you don't check every box, we'd still love to hear from you.

From Gavroche data

Figures computed from live adverts on Gavroche; the job text above is the employer's.

Similar roles in San Francisco

200 open roles like this one; at most three per employer shown.

What mechanical engineer adverts in San Francisco state

Middle half: 132,412 – 184,375 USD a year; median 152,500 USD.

From 16 adverts by 9 employers that state a salary, annualised.

How mechanical engineer roles in the United States are worked

0% fully remote · 5% hybrid · 95% do not say

Of 304 adverts. An advert that does not state a work mode is counted as not saying, not as on-site.

New openings in San Francisco, by week

  1. 8/17/2026 238
  2. 8/24/2026 272
  3. 8/31/2026 346
  4. 9/7/2026 302
  5. 9/14/2026 373
  6. 9/21/2026 438
  7. 9/28/2026 527
  8. 10/5/2026 495
  9. 10/12/2026 595
  10. 10/19/2026 454
  11. 10/26/2026 485
  12. 11/2/2026 479
  13. 11/9/2026 107

5,111 openings over 12 weeks, by the week they were published.

Other roles at Pantograph

6 open.