Staff Mechanical Design Engineer

Staff Mechanical Design Engineer

Aurora is delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly to make transportation safer, increasingly accessible, and more reliable and efficient than ever before.

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all. Aurora is seeking a Staff Mechanical Design Engineer for the Compute Product Engineering team within the HPE (Hardware Product Engineering) group.

The HPE Mechanical Design team is responsible for the development of all custom hardware modules in the Aurora Driver Kit (ADK) including Compute modules, Sensor Pods, and Lidar. The team works cross-functionally with EE, layout, CAE, Reliability, EMC, NPI, Operations, and other R&D teams to deliver the robust, scalable electro-mechanical solutions that power the Aurora Driver. Our team starts development at the earliest stages of product scoping and technology exploration and carries products through mass production at scale with our manufacturing partners.

In this role, you will lead the development of our next-generation Aurora Driver Module, which consists of the integration of our Primary Computer and Electronic Control Units for our autonomous vehicle platform known as the Aurora Driver. This role owns mechanical architecture from concept through production, driving robust, manufacturable designs for compute hardware deployed in safety-critical environments. In addition, you will support and sustain products driving autonomously on roads today. This is a high-impact, cross-functional role at the intersection of mechanical design, electronics packaging, and vehicle integration, with responsibility for setting technical direction and mentoring engineers.

In this role you will:

• Lead mechanical design and architecture of ECU systems, including enclosures, thermal management, structural design, and packaging
• Own full lifecycle development: concept → prototype → validation → production release
• Define system-level requirements and translate into detailed mechanical designs and specifications
• Design for high-performance compute systems including:
• Thermal solutions (passive/active cooling, application of TIMs, design of heat sinks)
• EMI/EMC shielding and grounding strategies
• Shock/vibration durability for automotive environments
• Optimize packaging for space, weight, thermal constraints, and serviceability
• Prototyping & Validation
• Drive rapid prototyping, bring-up, and iterative validation of ECU hardware
• Partner with Reliability to develop and execute validation plans (DV/PV)
• Lead root cause analysis and design improvements based on test data
• Manufacturing & Production
• Partner with manufacturing and suppliers for DFM/DFA optimization
• Own transition from prototype to production-grade designs
• Cross-functional Leadership
• Work closely with electrical, firmware, software, and vehicle integration teams
• Drive system-level tradeoffs across multiple domains for critical decision making
• Provide technical leadership, design reviews, and mentorship to junior engineers

Required Qualifications:

• BS / MS in Mechanical Engineering (or similar) and 8+ years of industry experience in Mechanical Design
• Proficient in CAD design & 2D drawing creation using GD&T, Catia 3DX preferred
• Prior experience with Contractor Manufacturers in high volume settings, including DFM/DFA, build support, and ECO processes.
• Experience designing for harsh environments including shock/vibration and temperature cycling with long term durability
• Experience mitigating EMI/EMC through specifications for connector selection, board-level shielding, and wiring harnesses.
• Ability to apply a deep understanding of both structural and thermal engineering principles to assess designs and validate simulation outcomes
• Proficiency in generating 2D tolerance analysis, including the application of Root Sum Squares (RSS) and Monte Carlo when appropriate
• Knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes common to electromechanical products
• Experience identifying critical failure modes and reaction plans to mitigate failures
• Experience in troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of product and fleet issues
• Experience working in multidisciplinary environments (mechanical + electrical + software)
• Strong presentation and documentation skills for participating in critical design decisions
• Willingness to travel within the US 1-2 times a year and internationally 1-2 times a year

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience with automotive ECUs or high-performance compute systems and integration into vehicles
• Experience with high power, high thermal density, and high speed electronics (for example, server / networking design, avionics design, etc) and deep understanding of their integration challenges
• Past experience with FEA & CFD, specifically for integrated electronics (Ansys + Icepak preferred)
• Experience designing mechanical control outlines (MCO) of PCB assemblies
• Experience with designing to Automotive standards, like ISO 16750 and similar
• Ability to lead DFMEA creation and execution with a clear understanding of failure modes and mechanisms for electro-mechanical products in a safety critical environment
• Experience with supplier management, PPAP, and production ramping
• Background in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and/or automotive vehicle design
• Proven experience with manufacturing processes, including, but not limited to, High Pressure Die Casting, CNC Milling, Stampings, and Press Brake Bending.

The base salary range for this position is $163,000 - $236,000 per year. Aurora's pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate's starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.