---
title: 'Mechanical Design Engineer, Hands Thermal Systems at 1X'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-design-engineer-hands-thermal-systems-1x-san-carlos-5yx6p9ydb6c3'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-20'
---

# Mechanical Design Engineer, Hands Thermal Systems at 1X

- **Company:** [1X](https://feeny.ai/companies/1x)
- **Location:** San Carlos, CA
- **Compensation:** $176k–$253k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-06-30
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-20
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/1x/d6c59043-7a78-48ba-8f35-6d47b987a871/application

**Skills:** 3D CAD software, Structural mechanics, Machine design, Mechanical engineering fundamentals, Structural FEA, Engineering validation, Prototyping, Laboratory experience, GD&T, Tolerance analysis, Production-ready engineering documentation, Bearings integration, ANSYS, Injection molding, Die casting, Machining, Power transmission systems, Robotic joints, Actuator assemblies, Reliability testing

> Design and deliver mechanical systems for humanoid robots, owning hardware development from concept through production. The role involves structural analysis, FEA, rapid prototyping, and integrating electromechanical components to ensure reliability and manufacturability.

## Job description

## About 1X

We’re building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it’s not. To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you’re inspired by this, you’ll thrive here. We’ve been at this since 2014 and we’re at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us. NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it - we’re shipping it. We’re excited to meet you, if this excites you. If you’ve spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all.

## About the Team

The Hardware Engineering team designs and delivers the electromechanical systems that allow NEO to move, manipulate, and interact safely with the world. From structural components and precision mechanisms to complete robotic subsystems, the team owns hardware development from concept through production. Working closely with electrical, controls, firmware, manufacturing, and robotics engineers, you'll help transform ambitious ideas into robust, manufacturable products that operate reliably in real-world environments.

## Your Charter

Design and develop the thermal systems that enable NEO’s hands to operate reliably across demanding operating conditions. You will develop active and passive thermal-management solutions for highly integrated electromechanical systems, balancing thermal performance with packaging, power, acoustics, reliability, manufacturability, and cost. You will use first-principles analysis, prototyping and physical testing to understand system behavior, optimize thermal designs, and validate solutions in hardware.

## Key Outcomes

- Design and optimize active and passive thermal-management systems for NEO’s hands, from early concepts through detailed design, prototyping, validation, and production release
- Use first-principles thermal analysis, experimental data, and simulation results to select and size components, evaluate design trade-offs, and optimize system performance
- Design, build, and instrument prototypes and test setups to evaluate thermal concepts and validate performance under representative operating conditions
- Develop thermal architectures and solutions that effectively manage heat across motors, electronics, structures, materials, and the surrounding environment
- Work closely with CFD and simulation engineers to evaluate design concepts and correlate simulation models with physical test data
- Work closely with mechanical, materials, and electrical engineers to integrate thermal solutions within tight packaging, structural, electrical, and manufacturing constraints

## Key Competencies

- Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals with a solid understanding of heat transfer and thermal systems
- Hands-on engineering mindset with experience building, testing, and refining physical prototypes
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make sound engineering trade-offs
- Excellent collaboration skills across multidisciplinary engineering teams
- High attention to detail with a commitment to delivering reliable, validated engineering solutions

## Minimum Requirements

- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related engineering discipline
- 2+ years of experience designing highly integrated active and passive thermal-management systems in a product development environment
- Strong understanding of heat transfer fundamentals and experience using first-principles thermal analysis to evaluate design trade-offs and drive engineering decisions
- Experience designing and executing thermal experiments, including test planning, instrumentation, data acquisition, and analysis
- Hands-on experience prototyping, assembling, testing, troubleshooting, and improving mechanical hardware
- Proficiency with 3D CAD software such as Onshape, SolidWorks, Creo, NX, CATIA, or similar
- Strong understanding of mechanical design principles, materials, manufacturing processes, and highly integrated electromechanical systems
- Experience creating engineering drawings, BOMs, specifications, and engineering change documentation
- Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment

## Preferred Skills

- Familiarity with robotic hardware such as actuators, gear trains, bearings, sensors, cable routing, or related electromechanical systems
- Experience developing hardware from prototype through design validation and high-volume production
- Knowledge of reliability testing, failure analysis, and root-cause investigations

What does a successful 1X Team Member look like? Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it’s the one thing you can’t get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect. Successful Mechanical Engineers at 1X combine deep technical expertise with a bias toward execution. They enjoy solving difficult multidisciplinary problems, rapidly iterating on hardware, and taking full ownership from initial concepts through production. They understand that exceptional robots are built through rigorous engineering, constant experimentation, and relentless attention to detail.

## Compensation Range

$175,950 - $253,000 + Equity

## Benefits

- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
- 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
- Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
- Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
- Onsite snacks and catered lunches

## Equal Opportunity Employer

1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

## About 1X

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: 1X develops general-purpose humanoid robots for home and industrial environments, combining AI and hardware to automate everyday tasks.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B funding stage)
- **Headquarters**: Palo Alto, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2015
- **Founders**: Bernt Øyvind Børnich

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Robotics Engineering / Artificial Intelligence
- **Target customers**: B2C (home consumers via NEO) and B2B/Enterprise (industrial tasks via EVE)
- **Mission**: Build a truly abundant society through general-purpose robots capable of performing any kind of work autonomously, allowing humans to focus on what they love.

## Products & Services
- **NEO**: A friendly home humanoid robot designed to integrate seamlessly into daily life and handle chores. Currently in early access after the NEO Beta (2024) and NEO Gamma (2025) iterations. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about)
- **EVE**: A wheeled industrial humanoid deployed in factories worldwide for autonomous industrial tasks. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about)
- **Revo1**: A high-torque-to-weight drive servo motor inspired by human tendon actuation, used in 1X robots. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about)
- **1X World Model**: A physics-grounded video model that enables NEO to learn autonomously from text or voice commands. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of $169M as of mid-2026, with a $100M Series B led by EQT Ventures in January 2024. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: EQT Ventures (lead), plus other investors in secondary rounds. Acquired Kind Humanoid in January 2025. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Headcount grew 121.2% YoY to 394 employees. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
  - Full-scale production of NEO began in Hayward, CA, with capacity to build 10,000 units per year. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
  - New Palo Alto HQ consolidated teams from Sunnyvale and Moss, Norway. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
  - Appointed Mohi Khansari as Head of Robot Learning (January 2026) and Vikram Kothari as VP of Operations (August 2025). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Vertical integration**: Owns manufacturing in Hayward (U.S.) and Moss (Norway), controlling the full production stack.
- **Proprietary hardware**: Revo1 servo motor offers world-leading torque-to-weight ratio, enabling flexible, low-gear-ratio robotics.
- **AI-first approach**: The 1X World Model allows robots to learn physical tasks via simulation and self-supervised video prediction, reducing need for manual programming.
- **Early home deployment**: NEO is one of the first humanoid robots entering private homes, giving 1X real-world data and feedback loops.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling NEO production and expanding early access to more households across the U.S.
- Enhancing AI capabilities through the World Model and reinforcement learning (e.g., Redwood mobility controller).
- Building a robust supply chain and service network for home robots.
- Continuing enterprise deployments of EVE while shifting emphasis to the consumer market.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Fast-paced, mission-driven environment focused on building humanoid robots that coexist with humans. Strong emphasis on AI, hardware, and real-world impact.
- **Work model**: Likely on-site for hardware and AI roles (multiple offices in Palo Alto, San Carlos, Sunnyvale, Hayward, and Moss). Some software roles may offer flexibility.
- **Notable perks**: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge robotics and AI, contribute to a product (NEO) that is already entering homes, and be part of a rapidly scaling company with strong funding.
- **Engineering culture**: High concentration of talent from Tesla, Apple, Google, and SpaceX. Active research in biomechanics, reinforcement learning, and simulation. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
- **Open roles**: 65+ positions listed on the careers page across AI, hardware, software, operations, and manufacturing. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/careers)

## Sources
1. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about)
2. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/careers)
3. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)

## Other roles at 1X

- [Internship - CNC Machine Park](https://feeny.ai/job/internship-cnc-machine-park-1x-hayward-bdkw3zkk5pa2) — Hayward, CA
- [Production Supervisor - Body](https://feeny.ai/job/production-supervisor-body-1x-hayward-kasd33mpzjgt) — Hayward, CA
- [Production Supervisor - Hands](https://feeny.ai/job/production-supervisor-hands-1x-san-carlos-nagxpxvb4bza) — San Carlos, CA
- [Robot Assembly Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/robot-assembly-technician-1x-hayward-b4yt43a0s439) — Hayward, CA
- [Robot Assembly Technician - Hands](https://feeny.ai/job/robot-assembly-technician-hands-1x-san-carlos-217s2y4txr3t) — San Carlos, CA
- [Recruiting Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/recruiting-coordinator-1x-san-carlos-7syy9m0c2esv) — San Carlos, CA
- [AI Researcher - Perception](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-researcher-perception-1x-san-carlos-ydyqjrthn02c) — San Carlos, CA
- [Internship - Manufacturing Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/internship-manufacturing-engineering-1x-san-carlos-w4x93jk7gwpw) — San Carlos, CA
- [Motor Test Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/motor-test-technician-1x-san-carlos-zsyhcdhha6ew) — San Carlos, CA
- [Operator - Data Collection (Swing Shift)](https://feeny.ai/job/operator-data-collection-swing-shift-1x-san-carlos-36y5yx97sgj2) — San Carlos, CA