- Robot type
- Drone
- Location
- SeattleWashingtonUSA
- Job type
- Hardware
- Posted
- Jun 30, 2026
- Salary
- $150,000–$245,000 a year
Full-time
Principal Mechanical Engineer, Hardware
Job description
We are seeking an experienced and passionate Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the end-to-end development of our drones and related electro-mechanical systems. At BRINC, we own the full lifecycle development of our products, from initial concept through to final validation, ensuring reliability and performance in safety critical drone operations. Principal Engineers are as comfortable setting standards for good mechanical design practices, working on new system architectures, mentoring junior members, as they are running an FEA analysis, owning the detailed design of the parts in a complex mechanism or building a working prototype.
At BRINC, Principal-level engineers stay deeply…
Job responsibilities
- Own end-to-end design of critical electro-mechanical systems, personally producing detailed design work (CAD, drawings, analysis) - from specification and design through prototyping, testing, and manufacturing handoff
- Set technical standards and best engineering practices (CAD, DFM, DFA, DFT, GD&T, drawing standards, etc.) for the engineering team
- Actively develop junior and mid-level engineers
- Make sound engineering decisions with ambiguous or incomplete information
- Collaborate effectively with electrical, software, perception, controls and manufacturing partners, modeling strong cross-functional communication
- Influence technical direction across teams and build alignment without direct authority. Clearly communicate design decisions and technical tradeoffs to engineering leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Partner with Industrial Design to ensure final products meet design intent without compromising manufacturability or reliability
Job requirements
- BS in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics (or similar field)
- 10+ years of experience in the design of complex electro-mechanical systems from concept to production
- Strong hands-on experience with the ability to craft proof-of-concept prototypes
- Expertise in precision mechanisms such as linkages, gears, cams, actuators including motion control, load analysis, and kinematic design.
- Demonstrated knowledge of common manufacturing methods: injection molding, casting, stamping, machining, 3D printing, etc.
- Experience and passion for mentoring other engineers through hands-on collaboration.
- Experience operating in a fast-paced environment where rapid iteration and safety-critical rigor matter.
- Strong command of DFM, DFA and DFT principles, and when to appropriately apply them in a fast iteration environment