---
title: 'Mechanical Engineering Lead at Molg'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineering-lead-molg-sterling-0vdnx6rbc5cn'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Mechanical Engineering Lead at Molg

- **Company:** Molg
- **Location:** Sterling
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-05-15
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/molg/43c46726-c2f0-4823-8746-850193ae322d

## Job description

Mechanical Engineering Lead

Full-Time · On-Site · Sterling, VA (Northern Virginia)

Competitive compensation 401k, equity, healthcare benefits

## OUR MISSION

To tackle the growing e-waste problem, Molg enables circular manufacturing with robotics and design. Its robotic microfactories can autonomously disassemble complex electronic products, and the team partners with leading manufacturers to design electronics with reuse in mind — ensuring one product’s end is another’s new beginning.

Molg combines advanced robotics and intelligent software to transform how electronics are manufactured and recovered. Working with partners like HP, leading hyperscalers, and industrial companies such as ABB and Stanley Black & Decker, Molg’s solutions recover valuable materials from existing devices while helping create the next generation of products optimized for circularity. This dual focus on recovery and design innovation drives Molg’s mission to keep materials in use and reduce waste.

## IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL

Join a cross-functional team of software, electrical, robotics, and operations engineers to design, develop, and validate the articulating end of arm tooling (EOAT) that powers our robotic microfactory. This is hands-on, mechanism-forward work — multi-DOF grippers, compliant linkages, actuated fingers, force-controlled contact systems, and tooling that must adapt to real variability in device geometry and assembly state. As the Mechanical Engineering Lead, you will own the full design cycle from concept through production validation and lead a small team of mechanical engineers doing the same.

Design & Engineering

- Lead the design and development of end of arm tooling — grippers, fixtures, and compliance mechanisms — for automated electronics disassembly.
- Define tooling requirements in collaboration with robotics, automation, and operations teams.
- Perform mechanical analysis (stress, tolerance, kinematic) to validate designs before fabrication.
- Oversee prototyping, testing, and iterative refinement of EOAT systems.
- Ensure designs meet reliability, repeatability, and cycle-time targets in production environments.
- Apply DFM principles to minimize cost and lead time.

Technical Leadership

- Serve as Technical Lead Manager for a small team of mechanical engineers — assign tasks, set milestones, and track deliverables across the EOAT workstream.
- Conduct design reviews, provide technical feedback, and maintain quality standards across the team's output.
- Mentor junior and mid-level engineers, supporting their technical growth and career development.
- Act as the primary technical point of contact for EOAT within the project team.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

- Partner with robotics, software, and manufacturing teams to integrate EOAT into the broader automated disassembly system.
- Communicate design status, risks, and dependencies to project leads and stakeholders.
- Contribute to project planning with realistic engineering estimates and technical input.
- Help resolve integration issues and unblock teams during implementation phases.

Process & Documentation

- Maintain design documentation, BOMs, drawings, and revision history to engineering standards.
- Establish best practices for EOAT design, testing protocols, and knowledge sharing within the team.
- Support lessons-learned processes to continuously improve tooling reliability and development speed.

## WHO YOU ARE

A hands-on mechanical engineer with deep expertise in kinematic design, mechanism synthesis, and actuation systems — and the technical leadership to drive execution in a fast-paced, hardware-intensive environment. You take full ownership of your workstream and know how to bring a team along with you. Specifically, you have:

- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field (Master's a plus).
- 5–8 years of experience in mechanical design, with at least 2 years in a technical lead or team lead capacity.
- Hands-on experience designing articulating mechanisms — grippers, compliant linkages, actuated systems, or similar.
- Proficiency in CAD tools (SolidWorks, Fusion, or equivalent) and engineering analysis methods.
- Experience with DFM and mechanical testing and validation processes.
- Familiarity with automation systems, robotics integration, or microfactory environments is strongly preferred.
- Strong communication skills and experience working in cross-functional product or project teams.

## WHO WE ARE

We spend our days building robotic systems, developing complex assembly intelligence software, and designing the next generation of circular products for our customers. Given the importance of working hands-on with physical systems, we are a 100% in-person team collaboratively working in our industrial space in Sterling, VA, down the road from the largest data center market in the world. Our facility includes a variety of robots, CNC milling machines, 3D printers, and all the tools needed to build and test our products. It is important to us that anyone on our team that is interested in learning how to use our various pieces of equipment and machinery is taught and can gain the skills and appreciation for making physical things.

## THING TO KNOW

- We're a hands-on, collaborative team with big ambitions — expect full ownership and meaningful technical challenge from day one.
- There's a good amount of context-switching. We expect people to be autonomous and drive their own work to completion.
- This role grows with the company. As the microfactory program scales, there is a clear path to expanded team leadership and the opportunity to grow into a principal-level technical contributor.
- We're scrappy and building a great, sustainable company for years to come. Priorities may shift as the business evolves — we give people the context and decision-making power to meet that head on.

## About Molg

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Molg enables circular manufacturing with robotics and design to tackle the growing e-waste problem.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A — CB Insights reports Series A; LinkedIn indicates multiple prior rounds including grants, pre-seed, seed, and venture round)
- **Headquarters**: Sterling, Virginia, United States
- **Founded**: 2021
- **Founders**: Rob Lawson-Shanks (CEO & Co‑founder) and Mark Lyons (CTO & Co‑founder) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/molg)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Industrial Automation / Circular Manufacturing for Electronics
- Target customers: B2B — electronics manufacturers, recyclers, sustainability officers, and enterprise data centre operators
- Mission or purpose statement: “To create a circular economy for manufacturing, ensuring one product’s end is another’s new beginning.” [molg.ai](https://www.molg.ai/company)

## Products & Services
- **OriginMark™**: An open standard for device, component, and material traceability. It captures assembly hierarchies, embodied carbon, and lifecycle data from manufacturing to de‑manufacturing. [molg.ai](https://www.molg.ai/)
- **Robotic Microfactories**: Autonomous robotic cells that disassemble complex electronics (laptops, servers, drives) at high precision, enabling reuse, remanufacturing, or recycling instead of shredding. [molg.ai](https://www.molg.ai/)
- **Design‑for‑Circularity Services**: Software‑driven advisory to help manufacturers design products with fewer adhesives and more modular connections (snaps, press‑fits, latches) that are optimised for robotic disassembly. [molg.ai](https://www.molg.ai/)
- **Circular Manufacturing Platform**: Full‑stack robotics + AI + software that automates assembly, disassembly, repair, and recovery workflows. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/molg)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Annual revenue estimated $1M‑$5M (LinkedIn estimate); total funding shows conflicting reports — **$18.5M** (LinkedIn) vs. **$47.8M** (CB Insights), likely reflecting different scopes of grants, convertible notes, and equity rounds.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: ABB Motion Ventures (strategic partner & investor), U.S. Department of Energy (grant $5M), Elemental Impact, Closed Loop Partners, Overture VC, Techstars, The Climate Pledge Fund, Amazon Web Services (AWS). [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/molg) | [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/molg)
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew 51.1% YoY to 48 employees (LinkedIn, 2025)
  - LinkedIn followers increased 50.9% YoY (2,540 total)
  - 9 active job postings (+28.6% MoM)
  - Recent wins: partnership with ABB to design circular drives, $5M DOE grant, participation in AWS reverse‑logistics initiative to extend life of data‑centre electronics. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/molg)

## Competitive Advantages
- **High‑precision autonomous disassembly**: Unlike typical shredding, Molg’s robots disassemble electronics cleanly, preserving components for reuse.
- **OriginMark™ traceability standard**: An open, computable data layer that follows products through their entire lifecycle — a rare differentiator in the circular economy space.
- **Design‑for‑circularity approach**: Molg doesn’t just recycle; it helps manufacturers change how products are built from the start, creating a moat around early‑stage design influence.
- **Cross‑industry partnerships**: Collaborations with ABB, AWS, and DOE give it credibility and network effects in both industrial automation and enterprise sustainability.

## Strategic Focus
- Scale robotic microfactories to handle more device categories and higher volumes.
- Deepen partnerships with OEMs and recyclers to integrate OriginMark™ into supply chains.
- Extend data‑centre lifecycle with AWS through autonomous reverse logistics.
- Secure follow‑on funding (Series A likely being raised) to expand geographically (current presence in US, Czechia, Denmark). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/molg)

## Why Work Here
- **Mission‑driven**: Employees contribute directly to solving the e‑waste crisis and advancing circular manufacturing.
- **Rapid growth**: 51% headcount growth YoY, expanding engineering and robotics teams.
- **Open roles (9)**: Robotics Engineer (Path Planning), Computer Vision Engineer, Mechanical Engineering Lead, Firmware Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer, Synthesis/Computational Design Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Reverse Engineering Technician, Robotics Manufacturing Technician. [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/molg) | [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/molg)
- **Work model**: Hybrid (combination of remote and on‑site work) with main offices in Sterling, VA (in‑office preference for technical roles). [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/molg)
- **Culture highlights**: Described as “designers, engineers, programmers, robots, and manufacturers coming together to change the way we make things.” [molg.ai](https://www.molg.ai/company)
- **Salary insight**: Anonymous salary data suggests ~$76k (general) and Robotics Engineer median ~$107k. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/molg)

## Sources
1. [molg.ai - Homepage](https://www.molg.ai/)
2. [molg.ai - Company page](https://www.molg.ai/company)
3. [linkedin.com - Molg company page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/molg)
4. [builtin.com - Molg profile](https://builtin.com/company/molg)
5. [cbinsights.com - Molg profile](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/molg)

## Other roles at Molg

- [Backend Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/backend-software-engineer-molg-sterling-88x78qxcfb8n) — Sterling
- [Technical Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-molg-sterling-73jrdv56z893) — Sterling
- [DevOps Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/devops-engineer-molg-sterling-89w2wwxprz9p) — Sterling
- [Robotics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-engineer-molg-sterling-k8ygeefseqr4) — Sterling
- [Senior Robotics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-robotics-engineer-molg-sterling-k3dnb1nmsnyq) — Sterling
- [Robotics Manufacturing Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-manufacturing-technician-molg-sterling-hs49q8b7r6te) — Sterling
- [Synthesis/Computational Design Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/synthesis-computational-design-engineer-molg-sterling-zy9v2c6cpsar) — Sterling
- [Firmware Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/firmware-engineer-molg-sterling-pc35td8t8vj1) — Sterling
- [Computer Vision Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/computer-vision-engineer-molg-sterling-j40gaexv5ysx) — Sterling