About the role
Chef Robotics - Senior Mechanical Engineer Senior Mechanical Engineer San Francisco Engineering – Hardware / Full Time / On-site apply for this job Chef Robotics is accelerating the deployment of intelligent machines in the physical world, starting with food production—a sector facing the largest labor shortage in the U.S., with 1.14M unfilled jobs today and 3.1M projected by 2030. These roles cannot be offshored, making robotics essential to keeping production onshore and strengthening America’s manufacturing base. Backed by investors like Kleiner Perkins, Construct, Bloomberg Beta, and Promus Ventures, and supported by a world-class team from companies such as Cruise, Zoox, Google, Tesla, and Amazon Robotics, Chef is rapidly scaling with multiple multi-year contracts and a mission to put an intelligent robot in every commercial kitchen.
About
the Role Robots are transforming how the world makes food — and you'll be building the hands that do it. As a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Chef, you'll design and ship the mechatronic components that power our robotic systems, from clever end effectors to full manipulation systems. You'll own the full development lifecycle: rapid prototyping, lab testing, systems integration, and vendor coordination. If you want your mechanical designs deployed in commercial kitchens across the country, this is your role.
What You'll Do Design and build mechatronic components for automated control systems and robotics, with a strong focus on end effectors and manipulation systems Drive systems integration — taking individual components all the way to a full, functioning robotic system Work hands-on in our lab: prototype fast, test hard, and iterate until it ships Partner closely with software, electrical, and industrial design teams to build solutions that are both elegant and production-ready Source and coordinate with vendors to identify and procure the right materials for mechatronic system designs Build robust testing processes, conduct reliability studies, and evaluate the feasibility, cost, and performance of new mechatronic equipment What You Bring You've shipped hardware to production — and you know what it really takes BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or a related field 5+ years of hands-on experience in mechanical design or robotics Expert-level SolidWorks: CAD, CAM, solid modeling, surface modeling, and sheet metal Strong command of fabrication drawings, 2D drawings, and GD&T Experience owning the full product cycle — from first concept through production release and redesign Deep knowledge of FEA, risk analysis, solid mechanics, and heat and stress transfer simulation $130,000 - $170,000 a year Chef is an early-stage startup where equity is a major part of the
