Senior Mechanical Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Chef Robotics is bringing AI into the physical world, starting with one of the world’s largest industries: food manufacturing.

Food production faces one of the most severe labor shortages in the US, with more than 1 million open jobs today and demand continuing to grow. Our robots help manufacturers automate repetitive food-preparation and assembly tasks so they can increase throughput, improve consistency, and keep production onshore.

Today, Chef robots operate in production facilities across North America and Europe, serving customers including Amy’s Kitchen, gategroup, and CookUnity. Our robots have made over 100 million servings in production, creating the world’s largest proprietary dataset for AI-powered manipulation of deformable food. Every meal our robots produce makes the system smarter.

Backed by leading investors including Avataar Ventures, Construct Capital, Bloomberg Beta, Promus Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins, we’re scaling rapidly with a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model and long-term customer partnerships. Our team includes engineers and leaders from Google, Cruise, Tesla, Amazon Robotics, Dexterity, Bear Robotics, Saildrone, and Zoox, united by a mission to build intelligent machines that solve meaningful problems in the real world.

If you’re excited about solving hard problems, creating real customer impact, and shipping systems that operate in production every day, not just in the lab, you’ll feel at home at Chef.

About the Role

Robots are transforming how the world makes food — and you'll be building the hands that do it. As a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Chef, you'll design and ship the mechatronic components that power our robotic systems, from clever end effectors to full manipulation systems.

You'll own the full development lifecycle: rapid prototyping, lab testing, systems integration, and vendor coordination. If you want your mechanical designs deployed in commercial kitchens across the country, this is your role.

• Design and build mechatronic components for automated control systems and robotics, with a strong focus on end effectors and manipulation systems
• Drive systems integration — taking individual components all the way to a full, functioning robotic system
• Work hands-on in our lab: prototype fast, test hard, and iterate until it ships
• Partner closely with software, electrical, and industrial design teams to build solutions that are both elegant and production-ready
• Source and coordinate with vendors to identify and procure the right materials for mechatronic system designs
• Build robust testing processes, conduct reliability studies, and evaluate the feasibility, cost, and performance of new mechatronic equipment

• You've shipped hardware to production — and you know what it really takes
• BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in mechanical design or robotics
• Expert-level SolidWorks: CAD, CAM, solid modeling, surface modeling, and sheet metal
• Strong command of fabrication drawings, 2D drawings, and GD&T
• Experience owning the full product cycle — from first concept through production release and redesign
• Deep knowledge of FEA, risk analysis, solid mechanics, and heat and stress transfer simulation

Chef is an early-stage startup where equity is a major part of the compensation package. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

In addition to salary and early-stage equity, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, commuter benefits, flexible paid time off (PTO), catered lunch, and 401(k) matching.

Chef Robotics is solving one of the hardest problems in AI: bringing intelligence into the physical world.

Our robots are already operating in production facilities every day, generating the real-world data that powers the next generation of embodied AI. If you want to build technology that leaves the lab, ships to customers, and transforms an industry, Chef is the place to do it.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.