Mechanical Engineer, Product & Manufacturing

Mowze is a small, fast-moving robotics company building autonomous mowing systems and scaling real-world robotic operations. Our small team consists of engineering, robotic operations, and field support, and we’re entering a major growth phase.

Mowze's autonomous mowers are deployed in the field, and the current generation has shown us where the design needs to mature: part count, fastener retention, cable management, and overall robustness. The next generation needs to meet the standard of an industrial product, built to the level of quality you'd expect from an established equipment manufacturer.

In this role, you will lead the mechanical design of the next generation mower and own the path to building it, including the BOM, component sourcing, fabrication vendors, and assembly documentation. The position includes design work as well as managing the BOM and sourcing.

In Person vs Hybrid: Hybrid, based in Gaithersburg, MD. On site 1-5 days a week, as needed.

Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical design of the next mower generation with DFM/DFA as the primary lens: part-count reduction, weldments vs. fabricated assemblies, steel vs. aluminum by function, fastener strategy.
• Own the BOM and component sourcing, including inventory levels, remaining purchases, and lead-time planning.
• Manage fabrication vendors (SendCutSend, weld shops, powder coat, machining) and decide, part by part, where SendCutSend still wins at our volume and where it doesn't.
• Redesign known problem areas, including the bumper, parking brake release, tie-downs, front lift point, water resistance, and deck actuation sensing.
• Design wire and cable routing as a first-class requirement, with the EE: harness paths, pass-throughs, service loops, grommets and plugs, electronics-tray removability.
• Own vehicle thermal management: airflow paths, heat-sinking of controllers, fan placement and count.
• Own the assembly sequence, and build documentation so a technician can build the mower repeatably. Torque specifications for all fasteners. Manage manufacturing sequencing.
• Aesthetic Design: Decals / Paint / Color Scheme

Qualifications

• 6+ years mechanical design for low-to-mid-volume machinery — outdoor power equipment, ag equipment, industrial machines, vehicles. Has taken at least one design from concept through production builds and field failures.
• Sheet-metal and weldment design: bend allowances, weld distortion, fixturing, powder coat masking, tolerance stack-ups on welded frames.
• Demonstrated DFM/DFA results on a production design
• Thermal design experience for power electronics in enclosures.
• Has owned a BOM, managed component sourcing.
• Has designed for harness routing and electrical integration (enclosures, cable management).
• CAD proficiency. SolidWorks or Fusion preferred. Ability to create production drawings and GD&T

Pay: $130,000.00 - $180,000.00 per year

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Application Question(s):

• For our chassis, we current bolt together prefabricated steel tube and plate. We are thinking of moving to a welded steel chassis. These days, is it really more expensive to use SendCutSend + fasteners, or would a welded chassis be cheaper? (at 100 units a month)
• Do you have real world experience on a production fleet of robots / vehicles? (How many were in the fleet? Did the robots operate outdoors? How much did the robots weigh?)
• We have fasteners that are coming loose in our high vibration environment. What do you suggest, and tell us about a time you solved a similar problem.
• We are moving from hand assembled 5 units per month with fasteners and components from SendCutSend to an assembly line where we are building 100 units per month. How would you improve our design for this change?

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Gaithersburg, MD 20879