Staff Mechanical Engineer

About the Company

At Hayden AI, we are on a mission to harness the power of computer vision to transform the way transit systems and other government agencies address real-world challenges. Our innovative mobile perception system empowers clients to accelerate transit, enhance street safety, and drive toward a sustainable future.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design of vehicle-mounted hardware systems, including enclosures, brackets, and structural components
• Own mechanical architecture for products operating in automotive environments (vibration, shock, thermal, weather exposure)
• Design and develop sheet metal and fabricated structures optimized for performance, cost, manufacturability, assembly and installation
• Drive product development from concept to prototype, validation, production, and installation
• Perform and guide engineering analyses including FEA, vibration, fatigue, thermal, and tolerance stack-ups
• Partner cross-functionally with electrical, computer vision, manufacturing, and installation teams
• Work closely with suppliers and contract manufacturers on DFM/DFA, tooling, and scaling production
• Establish best practices for CAD, drawings, GD&T, and design reviews
• Mentor engineers and raise the bar for mechanical design quality and rigor
• Identify technical risks early and lead mitigation strategies
• Travel to customer sites domestically and internationally to support pilot hardware installations

Requirements

• Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• 8+ years of experience designing and shipping complex hardware systems
• Strong hands-on experience with vehicle or automotive-grade mechanical design
• Deep expertise in structures, brackets, and sheet metal fabrication
• Proficiency in CAD (e.g., SolidWorks, Creo, NX)
• Strong understanding of GD&T, tolerance analysis, and stack-ups
• Experience in design, manufacturing technologies and DFM/DFA for low-to-medium volume production scaling
• Experience designing for harsh environments (vibration, ingress protection, thermal cycling)
• Proven track record of taking products from prototype to production
• Strong ownership mindset and ability to operate in a fast-paced startup
• Experience working with and managing JDM partners

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• Experience with vehicle integration (mounting to buses, fleets, or automotive platforms)
• Familiarity with automotive standards
• Experience with sheetmetal and machined structural components
• Background in ruggedized electronics enclosures or camera/sensor systems
• Experience with FEA tools
• Experience working with global suppliers