Mechanical Engineer Co-Op - Robotics Hardware at FieldAI in Boston, MA

Summary: Field AI is transforming how robots interact with the real world. As a Mechanical Engineer Co-op on the Hardware Team, you will contribute to the design and implementation of mechanical systems that support sensing and compute platforms in real-world environments. Responsibilities: - Design and model mechanical structures including external enclosures, internal compute frames, and load-bearing chassis - Design and validate robust sensor mounts, payload attachment points, and mechanical interfaces - Implement IP-rated solutions with gaskets, seals, membranes, and coatings to meet water/dust ingress standards - Incorporate thermal mitigation strategies such as fans, heat sinks, conductive paths, and airflow guides - Ensure adherence to payload constraints, including tight volumetric envelopes and weight limitations - Build detailed SolidWorks CAD assemblies - Run FEA and thermal simulations to validate strength, durability, and heat dissipation - Choose materials and components to meet mass, strength, thermal, and manufacturability constraints - Apply DFM, DFA, DFS principles throughout the design lifecycle - Conduct mechanical load testing (shock, vibration), thermal validation, ingress tests, and sensor alignment assessments - Rapidly iterate on prototypes for fit checks, thermal evaluations, and integration trials - Generate mechanical drawings, GD&T annotations, BOMs, and assembly instructions for fabrication and QA - Manage weight, volume, and thermal budgets - Work with vendors and contract manufacturers to procure mechanical hardware - Develop QA checks for incoming units - Support payload integration and scaling - Investigate mechanical failures, deformation, and environmental weaknesses during testing and deployments - Develop protocols for monitoring the system mechanical health and loads Required Qualifications: - Current student pursuing a B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field - Proficient with SolidWorks or equivalent mechanical CAD platforms - Familiarity with FEA and thermal modeling tools - Experience designing hardware that survives vibration, shock, thermal cycling, and environmental exposure - Experience designing for CNC, sheet metal, additive manufacturing, and assembly workflows - Experience working across teams to integrate mechanical systems with compute, sensors, and power electronics - Comfort with mechanical debugging, thermal test setups, vibration tables, and ingress testing - Ability to contribute electrical, sensing, and embedded computing work to deliver robust integrated systems Preferred Qualifications: - Experience taking systems from prototype to large scale production - Experience developing systems for harsh field environments - Experience working on robotics deployed in real world settings such as autonomous vehicles, drones, or ruggedized robots - Fluency across mechanical, electrical, and software systems - Experience designing to meet IP ratings, MIL-STD, or equivalent ruggedness standards Required Skills: Mechanical System Design, CAD Expertise, Thermal & Structural Analysis Important Skills: Manufacturing Knowledge, Mechanical Systems Integration Nice-to-Have Skills: Lab Skills, Cross Functional Robotic Skills, Scaling, Field Environments, Deployed Robotics, Systems Level Robotics, Reliability Engineering