Mechanical Design Engineer at Loombotic in Austin, TX

About Loombotic

Loombotic is the SendCutSend of wire harnesses. Harnesses are inside almost every piece of hardware - robots, aircraft, defense systems, industrial machines - but they're still built by hand, with 6-12 week lead times that stall entire products. We're changing that by building our own instant-quoting software and our own manufacturing line - the robots, vision systems, and tooling that automate work the industry still does by hand. The result: custom harnesses designed, built, and shipped in about a week. Teams building robotics, aerospace, and advanced thermal and data-center hardware rely on us to get custom cables in days, not months.

We don't buy our factory off the shelf - we design and build the machines, fixtures, and tooling that make automated harness production possible. That's what this role does.

The role

This is a role where you own whole machines, not just parts. You'll design the mechanical systems that build harnesses - mechanisms, end effectors, fixtures, tooling - and then integrate motion, controls, and our vision/robotics systems into a machine that actually runs on the floor. You'll take problems from a blank Onshape document through prototyping, bring-up, and debugging, working shoulder-to-shoulder with robotics, controls, and the technicians running the line.

We're hiring for hunger, fundamentals, and a track record of building real things - not years on a resume. Whether you're a recent grad who's been building robots in your garage or a seasoned machine builder who wants more ownership, what matters is that you've actually built things and want to own machines end-to-end. Everyone here gets real mentorship and a steep growth curve.

Problems you'll get to solve

A few of the problems you'd actually work on:

• Design machines and end effectors that handle limp, variable wire and tiny connectors: the parts the industry still says can't be automated
• Build fixtures and tooling that turn fiddly manual steps (routing, strain relief, seating) into fast, repeatable operations
• Integrate mechanical, motion, and vision into a machine that runs reliably on the floor, not just on the bench
• Hit tight tolerances and cycle times while keeping machines buildable, serviceable, and cheap enough to replicate
• Get from a blank Onshape doc to a working, production-grade machine fast, then make the next one better

What you'll do

• Design mechanisms, end effectors, fixtures, and tooling for the automated line in Onshape
• Own machines end-to-end: concept → CAD → prototype → bring-up → debugging → running in production
• Integrate your mechanical designs with motion, actuators, controls, and our vision/robotics systems into working machines
• Prototype fast with 3D printing, machining, and off-the-shelf parts; iterate on real hardware
• Apply DFM/DFA and sound tolerancing; spec materials, hardware, and fits
• Source parts and work with machine shops and vendors
• Be on the floor when your machine runs - measure cycle time, yield, and reliability, and make it better

You are

• A mechanical engineer at any level who has built real things - robots, machines, mechanisms, projects (school, internships, FRC/FSAE, personal builds, or years of professional machine design all count)
• Hands-on and resourceful: happy in CAD and at a workbench with a wrench
• Hungry for ownership and able to learn fast
• Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid iteration
• Excited to work across mechanical, controls, and robotics rather than stay in one lane
• Happier when the machine is running on the floor than when the CAD looks clean

Minimum qualifications

• Mechanical engineering degree or equivalent hands-on experience - open to all experience levels, from new grad to seasoned
• Demonstrated experience designing and building real mechanisms or machines (projects, internships, competitions, personal builds, or professional work)
• Proficiency in Onshape or another parametric CAD tool (you can pick up Onshape fast if you know SolidWorks/Fusion)
• Solid mechanical fundamentals: mechanism design, tolerancing/GD&T basics, materials, fasteners
• Comfortable working on-site in Austin, TX with physical hardware (or relocating there - see relocation note above)
• Legally authorized to work in the U.S. or Canada

Nice to have

• Onshape specifically
• Automation, robotics, or special-purpose machine building
• Motion systems, actuators, pneumatics, or precision mechanisms
• Hands-on machining, 3D printing, or fabrication
• Some exposure to controls, electronics, or programming (you'll work closely with both)
• Wire harness, cable, connector, or terminal domain knowledge
• Robotics competitions (FRC/VEX), Formula SAE, or a portfolio of things you've built
• Bonus: serious Factorio (or other factory-builder game) playtime. If optimizing automated factories for fun sounds like you, you'll fit right in.

What we care about

We care about builders who get machines working in the real world. The best person here designs a fixture that turns a fiddly manual step into something fast, repeatable, and reliable - then integrates the motion and controls and is standing there when it runs. We'd rather hire a hungry builder - new grad or veteran - with a garage full of robots they actually built than someone who only models parts. We want someone who wants to build a factory.

Compensation & benefits

• $85k-$165k base DOE + meaningful early-stage equity. Equity by level: junior 0.05-0.15%, mid 0.25-0.5%, senior / key early hire 0.5-0.75% (4-year vest, 1-year cliff)
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Top-tier tools, prototyping equipment, and lab access
• Real mentorship and a fast path to owning larger machines and systems
• Access to our engineering lab and tools for approved personal projects. We like people who build things

How to apply

Apply with your resume and a portfolio or photos/videos of things you've built (this matters more than your resume), plus short answers to:

1. Show us a machine, robot, or mechanism you designed and built. What was your role, and what was hard about it?
2. What CAD do you use, and how do you go from an idea to a working prototype?
3. Have you worked across mechanical + controls/electronics/software? Tell us about it.
4. Why Loombotic / why building manufacturing machines?

Loombotic is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities; if you need one during the hiring process, just ask.