Advisory Mechanical Hardware Engineer

About the role

A versatile hardware engineer for a small Boulder R&D team working across inkjet, robotics, machine vision, and renewable energy programs. You'll contribute to mechanical and electromechanical design from benchtop proof-of-concept through production hardware, including:

• Advancing next-generation solar cell manufacturing
• Collaborative palletizing system on a path to CE marking and contract manufacturing
• Continuous-feed inkjet inspection platforms and their expansion across automation product roadmap

What You'll Do

Contribute to mechanical/electromechanical design end-to-end: idea → concept → POC → DVT → production hardware

• Design EOAT, base frames, electrical and pneumatic systems for robotics and automation
• Design industrial control panels, cable harnesses, and enclosures — component selection, circuit design, panel layout, routing, and grounding
• Scope and ship one-off / bespoke automation builds — purpose-built rigs and process automation where you own the design from ambiguous brief to working hardware
• Build robust optical/imaging fixtures (lighting, motion, alignment) for inline inspection systems
• Generate manufacturing-ready documentation: 3D CAD, electrical schematics, BOMs, assembly/work instructions, test protocols
• Partner with software/controls on integration: motion/vision triggers, sensor interfaces, PLC and robot controller communications
• Contribute to safety and certification work: risk assessment, Performance Level analysis, CE marking, EMC/LVD/RoHS, and US NRTL paths where applicable
• Flex into hardware-adjacent applied software when HW workload is light

Required Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or closely related field; MS a plus
• Demonstrated track record of delivering multiple complex electromechanical products from POC through production — as a key contributor, not a peripheral one
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (NX, Solidworks, or equivalent) and electrical schematic tools (AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, or equivalent)
• Sheet metal and machined part design experience — DFM for bending, machining, and assembly; GD&T; experience working directly with fab shops
• Hands-on with EOAT/gripper design, pneumatics, motion systems, sensors, and control-cabinet design and wiring
• Python or C++ for embedded/robotic systems; Linux proficiency
• Experience with machine vision / imaging hardware integration (cameras, lighting, lensing, calibration)
• Strong systems thinking; thrives in a fast-moving, multi-project R&D environment

Desired Qualifications

• Robotics software: ROS 2 (MoveIt 2, ROS 2 Control, TF2), UR programming (URCaps, safety configuration, controller integration)
• Bespoke / one-off automation experience — integrator-style builds, purpose-built machines for a single customer or process (vs. high-volume catalog products)
• Product certification: CE/UKCA, UL/CSA/NRTL, EMC pre-compliance; EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230
• Advanced vision & compute: Stereo/RGB-D (6DoF pose, object detection), high-throughput image processing pipelines, GPU acceleration
• Contract-manufacturing transfer: documentation packages, quality systems, production handoff
• Precision equipment industry: inkjet, semiconductor, thin-film, or web/roll-to-roll manufacturing environments
• Agile / Scrum: sprint planning, backlog grooming, iterative delivery
• Mindset: Comfortable navigating loosely-defined problems and shipping working hardware without a fully spec'd brief; comfortable with AI coding tools and willing to explore emerging AI-assisted engineering workflows