Lead Mechanical Engineer (Robotics)

Location: Munich, Germany; on-site

Company

hirify.global develops robotic products, including robotic hands and precision electromechanical systems.

What you will do

• Lead the mechanical design and development of robotic hands and subsystems from prototype through series production.
• Own mechanical designs, CAD models, technical drawings, product structures, bills of materials, assembly documentation, and production release workflows.
• Conduct design reviews, tolerance stack-up analyses, GD&T assessments, and define mechanical acceptance criteria for inspections, testing, and validation.
• Drive DFM and DFA, including transitions from CNC-machined components to injection-molded parts, prototype builds, endurance testing, and manufacturing process optimization.
• Coordinate manufacturing transfer, supplier qualification, and production ramp-up with suppliers and production teams in Germany and China.
• Lead failure analysis, root cause investigations, reliability improvements, serviceability and spare-parts definition, while mentoring junior engineers and students.

Requirements

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a comparable field.
• 8+ years of experience in mechanical or electromechanical product development, including taking at least one product into series production.
• Strong expertise in compact precision mechanisms, including gears, linkages, bearings, springs, and small electric drives.
• Experience developing production-ready mechanical systems, managing design releases, conducting production release reviews, and coordinating with manufacturing suppliers.
• Solid knowledge of CNC machining, injection molding, tooling, precision assembly, tolerance analysis, GD&T, and ISO GPS or ASME Y14.5 engineering drawing standards.
• Proficiency in Creo or SolidWorks and hands-on experience with product structures and release workflows in Windchill, SolidWorks PDM, or similar systems.
• Experience with structured root cause analysis and quality methodologies such as 8D and FMEA, including transferring designs to external or international manufacturing partners.
• Strong communication and multidisciplinary collaboration skills across international teams.
• Fluent English required; German is an advantage.
• Valid Class B driving licence and willingness to travel between company locations and international production sites.

Nice to have

• Experience with robotic hands, grippers, prosthetics, exoskeletons, or other dexterous robotic mechanisms.
• Knowledge of tendon-driven mechanisms, series elastic actuators, capstan drives, worm gear systems, ball joints, orbital forming, or other specialized compact-mechanism manufacturing techniques.
• Experience creating assembly instructions and supporting manual production lines.
• Familiarity with Chinese contract manufacturers and international supplier management.
• Experience integrating sensors, textiles, or flexible components into mechanical structures.
• Previous technical leadership or mentoring experience in robotics or precision electromechanical product development.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time, on-site work in Munich, Germany.
• Regular collaboration with mechanical, electronics, manufacturing, quality, sourcing, supplier, and production teams.
• Travel between company locations and international production sites is required.