Mechanical Engineer - Hands (Compliant Elements)

About this role

Figure is an AI robotics company developing autonomous general-purpose humanoid robots. The goal of the company is to ship humanoid robots with human level intelligence. Its robots are engineered to perform a variety of tasks in the home and commercial markets. Figure is based in San Jose, CA and requires 5 days/week in-office collaboration.

We are looking for a Mechanical Design Engineer with specific expertise in softgoods, elastomers, and complex plastics to join our Hands team. In this role, you will own the development of advanced robotic hand components and interfaces from concept through production. The ideal candidate has operated in a high-tech, fast-paced environment, is comfortable driving across multiple stakeholders, and has a strong background in materials characterization, complex injection molding, and validation of flexible systems. Robotics experience is not required.

Responsibilities:

• Design mechanical parts and assemblies in 3D CAD that meet structural, durability, manufacturability, and industrial design requirements—with a specific focus on flexible substrates, overmolding, and skin/grip interfaces.

• Generate accurate 2D drawings using GD&T in accordance with ASME Y14.5.

• Perform tolerance stack-ups and review quality and inspection reports to ensure design intent is met for both rigid and elastomeric/molded parts.

• Prototype, build, and test components / systems to validate tactile performance, material durability, reliability, and lifetime requirements.

• Lead and support testing / validation efforts at the component, module, and system level.

• Collaborate closely with electrical engineers and systems/integration teams on electromechanical designs, routing, and environmental sealing.

• Partner with supply chain, contract manufacturers, toolmakers, and quality teams to drive softgoods and plastic designs through NPI and into high-volume production.

• Own and drive Failure Analysis & Corrective Actions (FA/CA) for complex material, molding, or mechanical issues discovered during manufacturing, testing, or field use.

• Inspect first articles (including mold trials and T1 samples), support build readiness, and continuously support hardware on development platforms.

Requirements:

• 3+ years of experience in mechanical engineering with a proven track record in softgoods, plastics, or elastomer product design.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Mechanical, Biomechanical, Material Science, Robotics, Mechatronics, or a similar field.

• Expert in using 3D CAD software to design parts with complex geometry, surface modeling, and variable material interfaces.

• Extensive experience designing for injection molding, including shipping complex injection molded parts with variable materials and complex tooling (e.g., side actions, lifters, overmolding).

• Direct experience working with elastomers, silicones, or flexible polymers (material selection, durometer trade-offs, and tactile/friction optimization).

• Familiarity with alternative specialized plastics manufacturing processes such as blow molding and plastic dipping.

• Experience owning and designing complex mechanical systems/modules end-to-end, including requirements definition, design tradeoffs, build, and validation.

• Experience with engineering analysis and simulation tools (e.g., FEA for non-linear materials/elastomers, MATLAB, or equivalent).

• Strong understanding of statistical analysis methods (e.g., Cp/Cpk, Design of Experiments (DOE), variance and sensitivity studies) for component- and system-level characterization, validation, and manufacturing readiness.

• Experience shipping hardware at scale, working with contract manufacturers/molders, supporting NPI builds, and driving complex Failure Analysis.

• Familiarity with electromechanical integration, including sensors, motors, wire harnesses, and communication interfaces.

Bonus Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience.

• Experience with waterproofing, ingress protection (IP-rating) design, and environmental sealing techniques for moving assemblies.

• Experience in controls, integration, and validation.

• CATIA V6 experience.

The US base salary range for this full -time position is between $120,000 - $250,000 annually.

The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.

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