Senior Mechanical Engineer

About the Company

Rhoda AI is building the next generation of generalist intelligent robots. We own the full robotics stack from high-performance hardware and robot systems to the infrastructure and state-of-the-art foundation world models that control our robots. We've raised over $450M and are investing aggressively in model research, infrastructure, hardware development, and manufacturing scale-up.

Responsibilities

• Own the drivetrain architecture for the mobile base, including wheel design and sourcing
• Lead actuator selection and integration, interfacing with motor and gearbox vendors
• Select and integrate braking solutions and mechanical/electrical interfaces
• Design the mechanical battery interface, including connectors, tolerances, and ergonomic battery packs
• Design battery latch and retention mechanisms with IPX sealing requirements
• Determine and implement the optimal suspension strategy for the base
• Manage packaging of compute and power boards, including thermal architecture and heat sinking
• Design the structural cast base and work with casting vendors on alloy selection and tolerances
• Define and execute the ingress protection strategy (seals, gaskets, vents) and validate IP ratings
• Create and maintain CAD models, drawings, tolerance stacks, and BOMs
• Plan and execute prototype builds and test campaigns for structural, thermal, and durability validation
• Mentor junior engineers and improve design review rigor

Requirements

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field (MS preferred)
• 5+ years of experience in mechanical design of mobile robots, vehicles, or complex electromechanical products
• Demonstrated experience with drivetrain design (wheels, motors, gearboxes, brakes)
• Track record of working directly with vendors on custom or semi-custom components
• Experience designing battery packs or user-serviceable electromechanical modules
• Experience packaging electronics with thermal constraints and validation
• Working knowledge of ingress protection design and testing
• Expert-level proficiency with CAD software (Catia, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or Onshape)
• Ability to work hands-on with hardware, building prototypes and troubleshooting systems
• Strong communication skills to drive requirements across disciplines

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing suspension systems for mobile robots, AGVs/AMRs, or small vehicles
• Experience with custom wheel development and durability testing
• Familiarity with spring-applied or electromagnetic brakes
• Experience with high-pressure die casting and design-for-casting best practices
• Background in latch, hinge, or mechanism design for high-cycle products
• Experience achieving and certifying IP ratings (IPX4 and above)
• Experience taking a subsystem from concept through DVT/PVT into production