About the company
We're an early-stage robotics startup building aerial robots that perform physical maintenance tasks in the field — work that today requires sending skilled crews to remote or hazardous sites. We're pre-seed, assembling our founding team, and moving fast toward our first paying pilot with a utility customer.
About the role
We're looking for a founding mechanical engineer to own the physical design of our robotic platform end to end — airframe, actuation, and the mechanisms that let the system physically interact with its environment. You'll work closely with the CEO (hardware background) and CTO (software/autonomy background) to take the platform from prototype to field-ready.
What you'll do
Design and iterate on airframe structure, actuator integration, and end-effector mechanisms
Own DFM/DFA decisions as we move from prototype to small-batch production
Run structural, thermal, and environmental analysis to validate designs for field conditions
Source and manage relationships with fabrication and manufacturing vendors
Collaborate with electrical and controls engineers to integrate sensors, wiring, and compute
What we're seeking
Must have
5+ years mechanical engineering experience, ideally on robotics, aerospace, or field hardware
Hands-on CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar) and experience taking designs from concept to physical prototype
Experience designing for harsh/outdoor operating environments
Comfortable working in a small team where you'll do design, prototyping, and testing yourself
Nice to have
Experience with actuated/robotic arms or manipulators
Background in drone, aerospace, or other weight-constrained platform design
Experience with rapid prototyping (3D printing, machining) in-house
Experience designing hardware for grid, utility, or other critical infrastructure environments
Skills Required
- 5+ years of mechanical engineering experience, ideally in robotics, aerospace, or field hardware
- Hands-on CAD proficiency using SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar
- Experience taking designs from concept through physical prototype
- Experience designing for harsh or outdoor operating environments
- Ability to independently handle design, prototyping, and testing in a small team
- Experience with actuated robotic arms or manipulators
- Experience with drone, aerospace, or other weight-constrained platform design
- Experience with rapid prototyping using in-house 3D printing or machining
- Experience designing hardware for grid, utility, or critical infrastructure environments
What We Do
Aviary Robotics is developing autonomous aerial robots for electric-grid inspection and repair. Its drones use onboard perception to detect and diagnose pole and equipment defects, then a robotic arm can perform routine tasks such as clearing debris, replacing fuses, or installing sensors during the same flight. The company aims to help utilities maintain outdoor infrastructure while reducing hazardous field visits and repeat dispatches.
