Advanced Robotics Mechanical Engineer, Frontier AI & Robotics

Description

We are looking for a Mechanical Engineer with a passion for building complex robotic systems from the ground up. This role is ideal for someone with a deep understanding of structural and electromechanical design, who thrives in hands‑on environments and has experience taking high-performance robots from concept to production.

You will work on the mechanical and system architecture of advanced robotics platforms, including high degree‑of‑freedom systems, where considerations such as actuator selection, thermal constraints, cabling, sensing integration, and manufacturability are critical. This is a cross‑disciplinary role requiring close collaboration with electrical, software, and AI research teams.

Beyond day‑to‑day hardware development, this role also provides exciting avenues to contribute to cutting‑edge research projects. Whether you’re interested in mechatronics, sensor integration, or novel actuation methods, you’ll find opportunities to explore your research interests while building real‑world systems that advance in the field of high degree‑of‑freedom robotics.

• A systems‑thinking mindset with a strong grasp of cross‑domain engineering tradeoffs.
• A bias toward action: comfortable building, testing, and iterating rapidly.
• A collaborative and communicative working style — especially in multi‑disciplinary research environments.
• A passion for robotics and advancing the state of the art in intelligent, capable machines.

• Lead mechanical design of robotic subsystems and full platforms, including structures, joints, enclosures, and mechanisms for a research environment.
• Own kinematic, dynamic, and structural analyses to guide the design and optimization of full systems and subsystems of high‑DoF robots.
• Specify and integrate actuators and motors for high‑torque density applications in high‑degree‑of‑freedom systems.
• Contribute to thermal management strategies for motors, sensors, and embedded compute hardware.
• Integrate sensors such as lidar, stereo cameras, IMUs, tactile sensors, and compute modules into compact, functional assemblies.
• Design and route cabling and wire harnesses, ensuring reliability, serviceability, and thermal/electrical integrity.
• Prototype and test mechanical systems; support hands‑on builds, debug sessions, and field testing.
• Conduct root cause analysis on system‑level failures or performance issues and implement design improvements.
• Apply Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles to transition prototypes into scalable builds (10s–100s of units).
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams in electrical engineering, controls, perception, and research to meet research and product goals.

Frontier AI & Robotics (FAR) is the team at Amazon building the next generation of embodied intelligence. FAR drives the development and implementation of advanced AI models within Amazon’s operations that enable robots to see, reason, and act on the world around them, supporting a number of different warehouse automation tasks.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related discipline.
• 6 to 10 years in designing mechanical systems for robotics or complex electromechanical products.
• Strong proficiency in 3D CAD (e.g., Solid Works, OnShape, or equivalent).
• Significant hands‑on experience building prototypes, integrating hardware, and troubleshooting mechanical/electromechanical issues.
• Deep understanding of actuator and motor selection for complex robotic applications, including sizing for torque, speed, and thermal performance.
• Experience with wire/cable harness design and routing in compact mechanical systems.
• Familiarity with integrating sensing and compute elements into mechanical designs.
• Solid knowledge of DFM/DFA principles and exposure to volume production (50+ units).

• Experience working on robotic manipulators or high‑DOF electromechanical systems.
• Exposure to designing, testing and validation for compliance (design for safety) and environmental factors (thermal, vibration, ingress protection, etc.).
• Experience with…