Mechanical Engineer

Hey, we're Glacier! Series A startup based in San Francisco tackling one of the world's most pressing problems: trash. Did you know that in the US, we send over half of our recyclables to the landfill? We're working to fix that. In doing so, we'll also be reducing carbon emissions, energy consumption, and depletion of natural resources. Glacier builds custom sorting robots designed to sort apart recyclables as well as AI-powered business analytics that enable recyclers to superpower their plants and improve our society's circularity. From major CPG companies like Colgate and Amazon https://www.packworld.com/sustainable-packaging/recycling/article/22953724/colgatepalmolive-amazon-glacier to municipal recycling facilities, our clients trust us to turn recycling data into actionable insights. Our technology has been recognized as one of TIME's Best Inventions https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2025/7318523/glacier-recycling-robots/ and featured in a TIME documentary https://www.pmi.org/project-management-for-impact/sustainability-ai, TechCrunch, Fortune, and CBS. As we scale, we're looking for a Mechanical Engineer to expand our hardware design bandwidth and own the long-term structural design behind our robotics and vision systems. You'll own the design lifecycle from whiteboard sketch to finished product, taking new and ambiguous problems and turning them into engineering requirements alongside the product team, then carrying them through prototyping and NPI. This role reports to our Hardware Engineering Manager and requires a strong balance of structural design depth, hands-on prototyping, and the cross-functional, scrappy mindset of a startup engineer who can support the system from design through manufacturing. Responsibilities: Own Structural Design from Concept to Production - Own the long-term structural design for our projects: frames, mounts, and supporting structures for robotic and vision systems, balancing stiffness, strength, weight, cost, and manufacturability. - Perform calculations, simulations, and lab validations for structural components, using engineering analysis to confirm integrity and reliability. - Develop mechanical architectures that survive demanding industrial environments while staying easy to manufacture, install, and service. Drive End-to-End Mechanical Engineering - Take new and vague problems and turn them into engineering requirements alongside the product team. - Own the design lifecycle from initial sketch through prototyping, NPI, and production release, including detailed CAD (Onshape preferred), drawings, tolerances, and BOMs. - Perform tolerance analysis and create drawings that optimize DFM against assemblability. - Work alongside peers on the electronics, dynamics, and pneumatics sides of the robot to deliver integrated systems. Build Hands-On and Support the Startup - Build prototypes yourself: talk to the machine shop, buy inventory, stock tools, and spin up custom designs quickly. - Take ambiguous problems and drive them independently from concept through deployment. - Write SOPs and provide communication and teaching support for the build team. - Step up off-hours and at remote installation sites as needed on occasion. What you bring: - B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or a similar field - 3+ years in a technical engineering environment - Strong background in structural design (sheet metal, machined components, bolted joints, welded assemblies), with FEA and engineering analysis to validate designs - Solid understanding of materials and failure modes, with the judgment to balance performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost - Experience designing for manufacturing using CAD (Onshape, SolidWorks, or similar), GD&T, tolerance analysis, DFM/DFA, and production documentation - Hands-on prototyping skills and comfort in the lab with machining, fabrication, assembly, and mechanical testing - Experience working cross-functionally with electrical, software, manufac…