Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Electronic Test Automation
Location:
Palo Alto, CA (100% Onsite)
Duration:
6-month contract
Pay Range:$64-$70/hr
Schedule:
Standard business hours (flexible / potential overtime based on business needs)
Role Overview
This role focuses on the design and development of mechanical test systems for vehicle electronics, supporting environments ranging from early R&D through high-volume manufacturing. The engineer will create modular, scalable, and reusable mechanical solutions for electronic test automation, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, technicians, and external vendors.
Key Responsibilities
- Design modular and reusable mechanical fixtures for testing vehicle electronics, starting with manual benchtop setups and evolving to fully automated, high-volume production systems
- Partner with cross-functional engineering teams to define mechanical test requirements and drive design decisions that improve ECU testability
- Design custom mechanical interfaces for ECUs, including pogo-pin connections and bed-of-nails probing solutions
- Develop rack-based test systems that reduce complexity and improve build time and scalability
- Create clear and thorough documentation, including diagrams, bills of materials (BOMs), and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Develop, release, and maintain drawings, BOMs, and technical specifications
- Collaborate with internal teams and external vendors during purchasing, station builds, system integration, and final commissioning
- Provide technical oversight to vendors manufacturing mechanical components and systems
- Work closely with technicians to communicate requirements and ensure proper implementation
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
- 5+ years of experience designing modular mechanical hardware for test automation systems spanning R&D through high-volume manufacturing
- Advanced proficiency with 3D CAD software, such as:
- SolidWorks (preferred)
- Autodesk Inventor
- AutoCAD
- Pro/ENGINEER (ProE)
- Experience with electronics testing, probing, and harnessing technologies, including:
- Mass interconnect solutions (e.g., VPC)
- Specialty probes (e.g., Ingun)
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, PCB layouts, and manufacturer datasheets
- Experience supporting deployment of automated test equipment (ATE) in manufacturing environments
- Hands-on experience with hardware integration for automated test systems
- Background in one or more of the following industries:
- Automotive
- Semiconductor
- Aerospace
Nice-to-Have Qualifications
- Familiarity with vehicle communication protocols, including:
- CAN / CAN FD
- LIN
- DoIP
- Automotive Ethernet
- Experience with automation and test instrumentation, such as:
- Programmable power supplies
- Multiplexers
- Digital multimeters (DMMs)
- Signal analyzers and generators
- Multifunction digital and analog devices
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