Mechanical Engineer, Autonomous Systems

ABOUT FATHOM ROBOTICS

Fathom Robotics provides operations, maintenance, training, and applied engineering services for uncrewed maritime systems supporting U.S. Government and commercial defense programs. We have multiple active projects across a variety of government and commercial clients and are actively fielding systems in operational environments.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Fathom Robotics is hiring a Mechanical Engineer to design and build payloads for uncrewed surface and underwater vehicles. You will take payload hardware from a customer requirement through CAD, prototype, fit-check, and test, then support it on the water. We are looking for an experienced engineer who has put real prototypes in the field and can move a design from sketch to working hardware without a large support structure.

The hardware you build goes onto vehicles supporting active government and commercial defense programs.

LOCATION: Fort Worth, TX, with periodic travel to test sites

WORK TYPE:  Full-Time or Part-Time

CLEARANCE: US Person Required | SECRET Eligible (Minimum)

PROGRAM CONDITIONS

Most of the work happens at our Fort Worth shop. Periodic travel to test ranges and customer sites supports integration and on-water testing, which involves boat operations and outdoor conditions. Full-time and part-time candidates will both be considered, with schedule set by experience and program need. Expect added hours and short-notice availability around integration deadlines and test events.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design payload hardware for USVs and AUVs, including enclosures, pressure housings, mounts, brackets, fairings, and structural interfaces
• Take designs from concept through prototype, fit-check, and revision on a fast turn
• Fabricate prototype parts in-house and manage outside machine shop and vendor builds
• Produce fabrication drawings with GD&T and keep design revisions under control
• Design for the marine environment: sealing, corrosion, material selection, shock, vibration, and depth rating
• Work with platform OEMs, payload vendors, and government customers to define mechanical and electrical interfaces and SWaP limits
• Coordinate cable, connector, and harness routing with the electrical team
• Plan and run bench, leak, pressure, and vibration tests before hardware goes to the field
• Support payload integration and on-water testing, including launch and recovery
• Document designs, test results, and field findings

Requirements

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience
• 5+ years of mechanical design experience, with a record of prototypes taken from concept to working hardware
• Strong CAD skills in Onshape or SolidWorks, including fabrication drawings and GD&T
• Hands-on fabrication: machining, 3D printing, sheet metal, or composites
• Design for manufacture and experience working with machine shops and fabrication vendors
• Experience designing for harsh or wet environments, including O-ring and seal design
• Experience with PLCs (programmable logic controllers)
• Comfortable working in a shop, outdoors, and on boats
• US Person status required (defense program context)
• Must be able to pass a background check and be eligible to obtain a SECRET clearance

PREFERRED BACKGROUNDS

• Payload or subsystem design for USVs, UUVs, or UAS
• Subsea pressure housings, penetrators, and underwater connectors
• FEA experience (SolidWorks Simulation, ANSYS, or similar)
• Environmental test experience to MIL-STD-810 or similar
• Wiring harness and connector selection
• Prior military service or defense contractor engineering experience

Benefits

For part-time hires, not eligible for health benefits.

For full-time hires, We offer a flexible ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement) plan, giving employees the freedom to choose their own health coverage through an online shopping platform. Each employee receives a $750 stipend to put toward their plan, and the funds can also be used toward other eligible health expenses. This approach lets you tailor your coverage to fit your individual needs rather than a one-size-fits-all option. We also offer a 401(k) plan.

**Compensation:**Competitive hourly rate or salary, commensurate with experience.