Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Electronic Test Automation

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Electronic Test Automation

Location:

Palo Alto, CA (100% Onsite)

Duration: 6-month contract | Pay Range: $64-$70/hr |

Schedule:

Standard business hours (flexible / potential overtime based on business needs)

This role focuses on the design and development of mechanical test systems for vehicle electronics, supporting environments ranging from early R&D through high-volume manufacturing. The engineer will create modular, scalable, and reusable mechanical solutions for electronic test automation, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, technicians, and external vendors.

• Design modular and reusable mechanical fixtures for testing vehicle electronics, starting with manual benchtop setups and evolving to fully automated, high-volume production systems
• Partner with cross‑functional engineering teams to define mechanical test requirements and drive design decisions that improve ECU testability
• Design custom mechanical interfaces for ECUs, including pogo‑pin connections and bed‑of‑nails probing solutions
• Develop rack‑based test systems that reduce complexity and improve build time and scalability
• Create clear and thorough documentation, including diagrams, bills of materials (BOMs), and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Develop, release, and maintain drawings, BOMs, and technical specifications
• Collaborate with internal teams and external vendors during purchasing, station builds, system integration, and final commissioning
• Provide technical oversight to vendors manufacturing mechanical components and systems
• Work closely with technicians to communicate requirements and ensure proper implementation

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 5+ years of experience designing modular mechanical hardware for test automation systems spanning R&D through high‑volume manufacturing
• Advanced proficiency with 3D CAD software, such as Solid Works (preferred), Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD, Pro/ENGINEER (ProE)
• Experience with electronics testing, probing, and harnessing technologies, including mass interconnect solutions (e.g., VPC), specialty probes (e.g., Ingun), ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, PCB layouts, and manufacturer datasheets
• Experience supporting deployment of automated test equipment (ATE) in manufacturing environments
• Hands‑on experience with hardware integration for automated test systems
• Background in one or more of the following industries:
  Automotive, Semiconductor, Aerospace

• Familiarity with vehicle communication protocols, including CAN / CAN FD, LIN, DoIP, Automotive Ethernet
• Experience with automation and test instrumentation, such as programmable power supplies, multiplexers, digital multimeters (DMMs), signal analyzers and generators, multifunction digital and analog devices

Hydrogen Group