Staff Actuator Design Engineer (Electric Vehicles)

Location: Palo Alto, United States; on-site

Salary: $200,000–$230,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and location.

Company

hirify.global is an electric mobility company developing vertically integrated small electric vehicles to address global transportation challenges.

What you will do

• Design, develop, test, and iterate electromechanical actuators and motor-driven mechanisms for light electric vehicles, including braking and steering systems.
• Create 3D models, detailed drawing packages, manufacturing instructions, and production-ready designs for mechanical parts and assemblies.
• Integrate PCBAs, wire harnesses, electronic systems, controls, and embedded software with mechanical actuator designs.
• Coordinate validation activities with Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers and execute design verification plans and reports.
• Lead DFMEAs, hands-on prototyping, fabrication, laboratory testing, and design iteration.
• Set actuator design standards and mentor engineers through design reviews and technical guidance.

Requirements

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience designing electromechanical actuators.
• Deep knowledge of motors, servo drives, motion sensors, precision motion mechanisms, gearing, lead screws, ball screws, friction, damping, and backlash.
• Experience modeling mechanical behavior with MATLAB/Simulink, Amesim, or an equivalent 1D multiphysics simulation tool.
• Proficiency in 3D/2D CAD, preferably Catia V5/V6, and CAE tools such as Ansys, Abaqus, or HyperWorks.
• Strong knowledge of material properties, statics, dynamics, GD&T, and tolerance stack-up analysis.

Nice to have

• Experience developing low-level drivers using Python, C, and C++.
• Experience with PCBA integration, wire harness design, PLM systems, BOM structuring, engineering changes, and deviation processes.

Culture & Benefits

• Hands-on engineering environment focused on designing and building new electric mobility solutions.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance covered up to 100%, with FSA and HSA options.
• One Medical membership and dedicated insurance advocates.
• Fertility and family-building benefits through Progyny.
• Flexible time off and a 401(k) match.