Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. RJI Search is seeking a Mechanical Engineer for a six-month contract project with Anthropic focused on rapid prototyping. The role partners with the lab manager to rapidly design, fabricate, assemble, and test physical hardware while collaborating with electrical, firmware, and product teammates.
Responsibilities
- Design mechanical parts and assemblies in CAD, moving quickly from concept sketch to a build-ready file
- Partner day-to-day with the lab manager to plan and execute rapid prototyping spins—3D printing (FDM/SLA/SLS), CNC machining, laser cutting, and other quick-turn development materials and processes
- Choose the fastest path to a testable prototype: right process, right material, right fidelity for the question being answered
- Design for manufacturability and printability/machinability from the outset, catching issues before they cost a build cycle
- Build, assemble, and bench-test prototypes yourself; you're comfortable in the lab/shop, not just at a workstation
- Run multiple concurrent design threads and re-prioritize as test results come in
- Keep tight, lightweight documentation (revisions, BOMs, test notes) so iteration speed doesn't come at the cost of traceability
- Work closely with electrical, firmware, and product teammates to fold their constraints into the next spin
- Design mechanical parts and assemblies in CAD, moving quickly from concept sketch to a build-ready file
- Partner day-to-day with the lab manager to plan and execute rapid prototyping spins — 3D printing (FDM/SLA/SLS), CNC machining, laser cutting, and other quick-turn development materials and processes
- Choose the fastest path to a testable prototype: right process, right material, right fidelity for the question being answered Design for manufacturability and printability/machinability from the outset, catching issues before they cost a build cycle Build, assemble, and bench-test prototypes yourself — you're comfortable in the lab/shop, not just at a workstation
- Run multiple concurrent design threads and re-prioritize as test results come in
- Keep tight, lightweight documentation (revisions, BOMs, test notes) so iteration speed doesn't come at the cost of traceability
- Work closely with electrical, firmware, and product teammates to fold their constraints into the next spin
Skills
- • Strong, demonstrable CAD skills (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Onshape, or similar) — can model complex parts and assemblies quickly and cleanly
- • Hands-on experience with 3D printing and CNC machining, including practical knowledge of what each process can and can't do well
- • A track record of fast prototyping cycles — you can point to projects where you took a concept to physical hardware in days, not months
- • Working knowledge of materials selection (plastics, metals, common development stock) for prototyping vs. production intent
- • Comfort in a physical lab/shop environment — you want to be at the machine, not just reviewing output from one
- • Strong instincts for design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA)
- Experience with additional fabrication methods (laser cutting, sheet metal, vacuum forming, urethane casting)
- Basic GD&T and tolerance-stack fluency
- Prior experience in a startup, robotics, hardware R&D, or similar fast-iteration environment
- Familiarity with PDM/version control for CAD files
- Timezone preferences: PST
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