Who we are:
Paradigm Robotics is an Austin, Texas based early-stage robotics startup building rugged, scalable robots for situational awareness in hazardous environments. We serve firefighting, emergency response, public safety, oil & gas, defense, and industrial markets. Our mission is to create a new paradigm of scalable, reliable, and useful robots for real-world hazardous operations - providing critical solutions to the most dangerous problems out there.
We've raised an oversubscribed round from top-tier venture firms. We’re working directly with over 80 of the largest fire departments, law enforcement agencies, industrial teams, and military units across the U.S., including the Air Force, Army, and SERDP. Our robots are built with and for firefighters, first responders, warfighters, and emergency crews.
Why this will be challenging, meaningful, and fun work
We are solving problems that matter. Building robots that operate in fire, heat, debris, water, and chaos is incredibly hard, and building them to scale is even harder. That is why we focus on engineering rigor, rapid iteration, and deep user feedback. We ship real robots into real fires for real customers, which means everyone on the team takes ownership, talks to users, and builds.
We value curiosity, autonomy, and low-ego collaboration, and we celebrate wins while owning mistakes. At the same time, we know how to have fun. From stargazing trips, go-kart races, and off-sites to Tulum, to goldfish pranks that turned into a full aquarium, we work hard and enjoy the ride together. This is a place where you can do your best work, learn a ton, build cool things, and make lifelong friends.
Role:
Senior Mechanical Engineer
Role Type:
Full-Time
Start Fall 2025
Role Description:
As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, you will own and oversee several mechanical systems as well as their integration into larger assemblies — many of which are subject to high-temperature, corrosive, and/or water-heavy environments; and some of which are inherently electro-mechanical systems. This means you will be leading engineers and projects through the full product lifecycle, and will be heavily involved with each step. You’ll need to wear many hats, and should feel comfortable switching context from project to project.
You’ll be co-developing a first-of-its-kind robotic platform with us - taking systems from concept to production and see them deployed in the field. You’ll work closely with the team, own your work end-to-end, and make real decisions that shape the product.
We expect you to take initiative, speak up, and care about the details. You'll have a lot of autonomy, and with that, the responsibility to make high-impact decisions. We’re looking for engineers who want to own what they build and why they’re building it.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Own several mechanical and electromechanical systems through all levels of product maturity
- Collaborate closely with founding team to validate and negotiate requirements, translating them into the final solutions
- Drive concept validation and critical learnings through rapid iteration; jerry-rigging representative test platforms wherever possible
- Engage heavily in solution development and iteration across systems; producing concepts, 3D CAD, and prototypes
- Lead reviews to evaluate designs, procedures, engineering drawings, and assemblies; providing recommendations to address potential issues
- Conduct analysis on critical systems to ensure designs satisfy strength, reliability, and assembly requirements
- Develop system testing procedures and methods; contributing to the design of jigs, test fixtures, and tools when required
- Perform root cause analysis on hardware failures in development and deployment
- Assemble and build systems to aid in testing or manufacturing
- Document design justifications, analysis, test results, and recommendations
- Monitor progress across projects and report, diagnose, and solve problems
- Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulations, and best practices in mechanical, thermal, and environmental design.
- Communicate directly with users as necessary to help determine engineering direction
Who we are looking for:
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
- 5+ years of experience in mechanical design and analysis, specifically for complex systems
- Experience with the full product lifecycle, from design to production and commercialization
- Strong understanding of mechanical engineering concepts, such as mechanics of solids and material science
- Mastery of engineering fundamentals/first principles
- Very proficient in CAD and mechanical/thermal FEA analysis software (such as Solidworks and Ansys)
- Working knowledge of GD&T
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering
- 10+ years of professional design and analysis experience for complex robotic systems
- Proven commercial experience with product development and the full product lifecycle, preferably in a leadership role
- Worked at a high-growth startup
- Strong entrepreneurial track record being an engineer, founder, or operator at a 0 to 1 startup, able and prepared to support scaling across all aspects of engineering, operations, and business
- Expert knowledge of GD&T
- Mastery of CAD and mechanical/thermal FEA analysis software (such as Solidworks and Ansys)
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Willing to work long hours, especially when necessary for critical milestones
- Hands-on in design, assembly, testing, and in-field deployments
- Open to providing mechanical engineering guidance to other team members when needed
- Eager to implement best practices, and fast to communicate needs and desired process changes
- Willing to provide feedback to management and team early and often
Work Environment:
Austin, Texas
In-Person
Monday - Friday/Saturday (5/6 days a week)
40-60+ hours a week
Compensation and Benefits:
$130,000-$250,000+ (Depending on experience)
0.5%-1.5% Equity
Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision)
Unlimited PTO
Relocation Support Offered
Free meals, swag, and more!
Contact:
Please contact [email protected] with any questions. Do not send an application through this email - it will not be screened.
At Paradigm Robotics, we believe the best ideas come from working side by side. We're an office-first team because building breakthrough tech that rolls into burning buildings takes tight feedback loops, fast iteration, and real-time collaboration. That said, we trust our team with autonomy. If you need to work from home once in a while, that's totally fine. What matters is that we deliver together.
We're building robots to keep first responders safe and change how emergency response works. To do that, we need a team with a range of perspectives, backgrounds, and lived experiences. We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer and committed to a culture where everyone feels ownership, respect, and belonging. If our mission resonates with you, we’d love to meet you.