Instrumental Inc

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, Manufacturing Fixtures

Palo Alto, USA · Senior

Sponsorship not specified$150k-$189kDetected 70 days ago

Computer VisionGD&TMechanical DesignHardware DesignCommunicationTolerance Analysis

About the role

We capture digital exhaust and engineering context from assembly lines-images, test logs, BOM data, performance, repair cycles-and our AI engines identify insights that are difficult or impossible for human engineers to find.
You will be joining a team that sits at the intersection of hardware, manufacturing, computer vision, and AI.

Has 8+ years of mechanical design experience, with significant experience designing fixtures, nests, test setups, or manufacturing aids for electronics production environments.
Has designed hardware that was actually built, deployed, and used in manufacturing environments - not just modeled in CAD.
Thrives in fast-moving environments where timelines are compressed, requirements are imperfect, and the design still needs to work the first time.
Design production-ready fixtures, nests, test setups, and station hardware for electronics manufacturing environments.
Own mechanical design from requirements gathering through CAD, prototype, fabrication, review, iteration, and deployment support.
Develop fixture concepts that control product position repeatably while protecting sensitive electronics, cosmetic surfaces, buttons, flexes, connectors, and other high-risk features.
Apply strong datum strategy, tolerance analysis, material selection, and design-for-manufacturing judgment to ensure fixtures work reliably in production.
Communicate design tradeoffs, risks, assumptions, and schedule implications clearly and proactively.
Support quick-turn fabrication using processes such as CNC machining, 3D printing, laser cutting, sheet metal, and other appropriate manufacturing methods.
Review and improve existing designs, identifying risks related to manufacturability, assembly, robustness, usability, and long-term line performance.

Strong understanding of CNC machining and other quick-turn fabrication methods.
Every customer and product is different, which means this role requires strong mechanical fundamentals, manufacturing judgment, and the ability to move quickly without sacrificing quality.

$150,000-$189,000.
Job leveling and salary opportunity are evaluated through our interview process-we review each applicant's experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Instrumental offers competitive, location-based compensation.

Communicates design tradeoffs clearly to internal teammates, customers, and manufacturing partners.
Partner with Solutions Architects, Hardware Engineering, Operations, customers, and manufacturing partners to understand product requirements and factory constraints.
Help Instrumental deliver high-quality deployments for customers building some of the world's most complex electronics products. Suggested Requirements

This listing is sourced directly from Instrumental Inc's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.