Rhoda AI · San Francisco
Mechanical & AerospaceHardwareFullTime
At Rhoda AI, we’re building the next generation of generalist intelligent robots. We own the full robotics stack from high-performance hardware and robot systems to the infrastructure and state-of-the-art foundation world models that control our robots. Our robots are designed to be generalists capable of operating in complex, real-world environments and handling long-tail edge cases, made possible by our cutting edge research and end-to-end system design. We've raised over $450M and are investing aggressively in model research, infrastructure, hardware development, and manufacturing scale-up to make generalist robotics a reality.
We're looking for a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own the mobile base of our humanoid robot platform. The base is the foundation of the entire system — it carries the drivetrain, battery, compute, and power electronics. You'll own the drivetrain architecture from wheels and actuators through brakes, define the battery interface and swap experience, drive the suspension strategy, and design the structural cast base that ties it all together. This is a high-ownership role spanning vendor engagement, precision actuator integration, structural design, and ingress protection for the whole subsystem.
What You'll Do
Own the drivetrain architecture for the mobile base, including wheel design and sourcing — evaluating off-the-shelf wheel vendors against a custom wheel development, and driving that decision to closure
Lead actuator selection and integration for the drivetrain, interfacing directly with motor and gearbox vendors on specifications, customization, qualification, and supply
Select and integrate braking solutions, including the mechanical and electrical interface with driver boards packaged inside the actuator
Own the mechanical side of the battery interface — supporting the EE team on connector selection, tolerances, and blind-mate strategy, and designing an ergonomic, human-friendly battery pack that's easy to carry, insert, and remove
Design the battery latch and retention mechanism, balancing retention security, tactile feedback, cycle life, and IPX sealing requirements
Determine the optimal suspension strategy for the base — evaluating architectures against payload, floor conditions, stability, ride quality, and cost — and carry the chosen approach through design and validation
Own packaging of compute and power boards within the base, including thermal architecture: heat sinking, airflow or conduction paths, and validation of thermal performance under real duty cycles
Design the structural cast base, working with casting vendors on alloy selection, draft, wall thickness, tolerances, machining strategy, and structural validation
Define and execute the ingress protection strategy for the entire base — seals, gaskets, cable pass-throughs, vents, and drainage — and validate against target IP ratings
Create and maintain CAD models, drawings, tolerance stacks, and BOMs to support design reviews, prototyping, and manufacturing handoffs
Plan and execute prototype builds and test campaigns — structural, thermal, ingress, and durability — and lead root cause analysis when issues arise
Mentor junior engineers and raise the bar on design practices, documentation, and design review rigor across the team
What We're Looking For
BS in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field (MS preferred)
5+ years of experience in mechanical design of mobile robots, vehicles, or complex electromechanical products
Demonstrated experience with drivetrain design — wheels, motors, gearboxes, and brakes — including sizing actuators against dynamic requirements and integrating them into tight packages
Track record of working directly with vendors on custom or semi-custom components: driving specifications, evaluating quotes, and managing qualification
Experience designing battery packs, battery interfaces, or other user-serviceable electromechanical modules with attention to ergonomics and cycle life
Experience packaging electronics with real thermal constraints, and validating thermal performance through analysis and test
Working knowledge of ingress protection design and testing — sealing strategies, gasket design, and IP rating validation
Expert-level proficiency with CAD software (Catia, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Onshape, or similar) for complex part and assembly design
Comfort working hands-on with hardware: building prototypes, running tests, and troubleshooting physical systems
Strong communication skills and the ability to drive requirements to closure across mechanical, electrical, software, and design disciplines
Nice to Have (But Not Required)
Experience designing suspension systems for mobile robots, AGVs/AMRs, or small vehicles
Experience with custom wheel development — tread compounds, hub design, and durability testing
Familiarity with spring-applied or electromagnetic brakes and their integration into compact actuators
Experience with high-pressure die casting (e.g., ADC12 or similar alloys) and design-for-casting best practices
Background in latch, hinge, or mechanism design for high-cycle consumer or industrial products
Experience achieving and certifying IP ratings (IPX4 and above) on sealed enclosures
Familiarity with battery safety, transport regulations, or working alongside battery/BMS engineering teams
Experience taking a subsystem from concept through DVT/PVT into production
Why This Role
Own the foundation of the robot — the drivetrain, battery system, suspension, and structure that everything else rides on, with decisions that ripple through the entire platform
Work across an unusually broad mechanical scope — actuators and brakes, castings, sealing, thermals, and human-factors design — all within a single subsystem
Join at a foundational moment and make architecture-level decisions that define the mobility, reliability, and serviceability of a next-generation humanoid robot