The datacenter buildout is the largest industrial project in human history. Gradient builds the autonomous robots that make it possible.
Partnered with the world's largest AI infrastructure companies and backed by the industry's best investors, we move fast and build full-stack systems that matter.
This is a senior individual contributor role. We're looking for a senior mechanical engineer with 5+ years of experience to own a core subsystem end-to-end at a fast-moving company building robots for AI infrastructure.
You get a goal, not a spec, and run the subsystem from there: requirements, concepts, prototypes, test, and release to production. You'll turn your hand to whatever gets the hardware ready for integration, backed by an in-house shop that turns parts around in days. You'll thrive here if you like small teams and broad ownership, enjoy taking a system from first principles to deployed hardware, and want real decision-making power over your design.
Own a subsystem end-to-end: design, manufacturing and validation. Ownership is the core principle at Gradient.
Solve what you can with analysis, and set aside what doesn't matter yet to get to the heart of the problem.
Build to answer what analysis can't, and turn each result into the next iteration in days, not weeks.
Be the anchor for your subsystem: own the schedule, define the interfaces, and make sure your whole system is ready to test the day the hardware is.
Raise the bar together: pair on the hard problems, share what you learn, and learn from everyone around you.
5+ years designing moving electromechanical mechanisms, with at least one taken from concept through production or deployment
Designed actuated mechanisms that move accurately and repeatably (linear actuators, motors, drives), for example returning to the same pose within a sub-millimeter
Has anchored a subsystem: owned the schedule and led interface decisions across mechanical, electrical, controls and software
Deep competence in precision motion components: ball screws, linear guides, bearings, kinematic constraint and tolerance stack-ups
First-principles intuition: you spot a wrong number before anyone looks it up, and back decisions with hand calcs or FEA
Designs for steel and aluminum fabrication (machining, sheet metal, welding), and knows what it takes to get the parts made
Hands-on machining experience: we have great technicians, but sometimes we make our own parts too
Able to work on-site in San Francisco 5 days/week, embedded in the team
Experience at a robotics, aerospace, automotive or fast-moving hardware startup shipping precision hardware
Has operated or controlled a robot or motion system (jogging axes, writing motion sequences)
Integrated sensing (load cells, force sensors) into a mechanism
Comfort using AI tools to multiply your own output
This is a hands-on role on a flat team, with no layers to manage.
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