Experience 1ā3 yrs (1+ years)
About the role
structured by ORIAll open rolesMechanicalš¦ Softgoods EngineerPalo Alto, CA (On-Site)/Full-timeApply nowShareAbout the roleAt Proception, we are engineering the next generation of highly dexterous humanoid manipulators. Our mission is to bring machines closer to human capability by merging innovative mechanical design, sensorā¦
What you will do
- Architect and build the soft anatomy of our humanoid hands: fingertip pads, palmar surfaces, joint skins, and protective covers that deliver human-like grip and compliance
- Design multi-layer soft structuresāgraded-durometer pads, foam cores, fabric reinforcement, and sensorized skinsāthat survive millions of contact cycles
- Own the full soft-part lifecycle: material selection, mold design, casting, post-processing, attachment, and field replacement strategy
- Develop and run durability, friction, and compression test protocols; iterate based on wear data and field failuresāfast
- Integrate tactile sensing elements into soft structures in collaboration with our sensing and electrical teams
What they are looking for
- 1+ years of experience engineering softgoods, elastomer components, or soft robotic systems for consumer hardware, wearables, prosthetics, medical devices, or robotics
- Hands-on mastery of silicone casting and moldingāmold design, degassing, cure profiles, inserts, overmolding, and bonding soft materials to rigid substrates
- Deep working knowledge of elastomer material properties: Shore hardness selection, hyperelasticity, tear strength, compression set, abrasion resistance, and aging
- Experience prototyping with your own handsācasting, sewing, skiving, laser cutting, 3D printing molds, debugging failed pours at midnight
- Fluent in CAD (Fusion, SolidWorks) for mold and soft-part geometry, including draft, parting lines, and undercut strategy
- Designed soft parts for real-world wear: cyclic loading, friction and grip degradation, contamination, cleaning, and field replacement
- Startup reflexes: you bias toward execution, learn fast, and document like it matters
Nice to have
- Experience with tactile sensor integrationācapacitive, magnetic, resistive, or optical sensing embedded in soft structures
- Experience with FEA of hyperelastic materials (Mooney-Rivlin, Ogden) or characterization testing to fit material models
- Experience with textiles, films, foams, or multi-layer laminated constructions
- Experience taking soft parts from prototype to productionācompression molding, LSR injection, or cast urethane at volume
Benefits
- Competitive salary and meaningful equity
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
- Work with world-class researchers and engineers in AI and robotics
- High-ownership role: you will define the softgoods discipline at Proception from the ground up
- Help define and build next-generation embodied intelligence systems
Softgoods engineeringSilicone castingMoldingElastomersCADPrototypingFEATactile sensingFusionSolidWorks3D printingLaser cutting
Full posting text
Experience: 1+ years Full-time Softgoods Engineer to own the soft interface between our robots and the worldāthe skins, pads, and compliant structures that make dexterous manipulation possible.