The posting
ABOUT 1X
We’re building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it’s not.
To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you’re inspired by this, you’ll thrive here. We’ve been at this since 2014 and we’re at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us.
NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it - we’re shipping it. We’re excited to meet you, if this excites you.
If you’ve spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all.
ABOUT THE TEAM
The Joints & Body team is responsible for the mechanical systems that give NEO its structure, mobility, strength, and physical robustness. We design and develop the robot’s body architecture, joints, structural components, and integrated electromechanical systems that enable NEO to move safely and reliably in the real world.
This team works at the intersection of mechanical design, actuation, structures, materials, sensing, electronics, controls, manufacturing, and reliability. We own hardware from early concepts and prototypes through validation and production, solving the mechanical challenges required to build a capable humanoid robot at scale.
YOUR CHARTER
Build the mechanical systems that make humanoid robots move.
You will own critical parts of NEO’s body and joint architecture, taking mechanical systems from concept through design, prototyping, validation, and production. Your role will focus on developing compact, lightweight, robust, and manufacturable hardware that delivers the performance required for a humanoid robot operating every day around people.
You will work hands-on with hardware, rapidly iterating designs based on testing and real-world robot performance. Your work will directly impact NEO’s mobility, strength, reliability, safety, weight, manufacturability, and overall physical capability.
KEY OUTCOMES
- Design and release production-ready body, joint, and structural systems that meet performance, reliability, weight, cost, and manufacturability requirements
- Develop compact electromechanical joint architectures that integrate actuation, bearings, transmissions, sensing, electronics, cabling, and structural interfaces
- Improve robot mass, stiffness, strength, range of motion, packaging efficiency, durability, and serviceability through iterative mechanical design
- Build and test prototypes rapidly, using physical testing and robot data to identify failure modes and drive design improvements
- Develop engineering requirements, tolerance analyses, test methods, and validation plans that demonstrate hardware performance and reliability
- Support hardware through prototype builds, design validation, NPI, and production ramp while resolving issues quickly and maintaining design intent
- Partner closely with controls, electrical, manufacturing, reliability, and supply chain teams to develop fully integrated robotic systems
KEY COMPETENCIES
- Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals across machine design, structures, mechanisms, materials, and electromechanical systems
- Deep understanding of mechanical joint design, including bearings, transmissions, actuators, shafts, fasteners, interfaces, and structural load paths
- Strong ability to design highly integrated mechanical systems under tight mass, volume, stiffness, strength, and range-of-motion constraints
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to use first-principles calculations, tolerance analysis, FEA, and physical testing to make engineering decisions
- Hands-on engineering mindset with the ability to move quickly between CAD, analysis, prototype builds, test rigs, and complete robots
- Strong understanding of DFM/DFA and the ability to develop designs that transition effectively from prototype to scaled production
- Strong collaboration and communication skills across mechanical, electrical, controls, manufacturing, reliability, and supply chain teams
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related field
- 5+ years of mechanical engineering experience developing complex mechanical or electromechanical products
- Strong experience designing mechanisms, structural components, precision assemblies, or robotic systems
- Advanced proficiency with 3D CAD and experience owning complex mechanical assemblies from concept through released drawings
- Strong understanding of mechanical design fundamentals including statics, dynamics, materials, fatigue, friction, fasteners, bearings, and tolerance analysis
- Experience with GD&T, tolerance stack analysis, drawing release, and production documentation
- Experience designing components for machining, casting, molding, sheet metal, additive manufacturing, or other production processes
- Experience building and testing prototypes and using test results to drive design decisions
- Experience integrating mechanical systems with motors, sensors, electronics, wiring, and other electromechanical components
- Experience collaborating with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, electrical, controls, and systems engineering organizations
PREFERRED SKILLS
- Experience designing robotic actuators, joints, transmissions, or humanoid robotic systems
- Experience with electric motors, gearboxes, belt or cable transmissions, bearings, encoders, torque sensing, brakes, or other motion-control hardware
- Experience designing lightweight structures with aggressive strength, stiffness, packaging, and mass constraints
- Experience with FEA, fatigue analysis, structural optimization, thermal analysis, or other engineering simulation methods
- Experience developing hardware exposed to repeated dynamic loading, impacts, shock, vibration, or high duty cycles
- Experience designing mechanisms with high range of motion and complex packaging constraints
- Experience with materials and processes such as aluminum, steel, polymers, composites, castings, forgings, injection molding, and precision machining
- Experience developing mechanical test fixtures, life-cycle tests, characterization rigs, or reliability validation systems
- Experience operating in fast-paced hardware environments with rapid design iteration and frequent prototype builds
- Experience supporting products through NPI, design validation, reliability testing, and production ramp-up
WHAT DOES A SUCCESSFUL 1X TEAM MEMBER LOOK LIKE?
Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it’s the one thing you can’t get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect.
Successful engineers on the Body & Joints team are deeply connected to the hardware. They understand that great robots are built through thousands of thoughtful mechanical decisions, fast iteration, rigorous testing, and an obsession with making the whole system better.
They are comfortable going from first-principles calculations and CAD to assembling hardware, instrumenting a test, diagnosing a failure, and implementing the next design revision. They balance performance with simplicity, weight, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and serviceability. Most importantly, they take ownership of their systems all the way from an idea on a screen to a robot operating in the real world.
COMPENSATION RANGE
$148,000 - $181,000 + Equity
BENEFITS
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
- 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
- Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
- Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
- Onsite snacks and catered lunches
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
