Staff Mechanical Engineer

About Cyngn

Based in Mountain View, CA, Cyngn is a publicly-traded autonomous technology company. We deploy self-driving industrial vehicles - specifically autonomous tuggers - to factories, warehouses, and other facilities throughout North America. To build this emergent technology, we are looking for innovative, motivated, and experienced leaders to join us and move this field forward. If you like to build, tinker, and create with a team of trusted and passionate colleagues, then Cyngn is the place for you. Key reasons to join Cyngn:

We are small and big.

With under 100 employees, Cyngn operates with the energy of a startup. On the other hand, we're publicly traded. This means our employees not only work in close-knit teams with mentorship from company leaders-they also get access to the liquidity of our publicly-traded equity.

We build today and deploy tomorrow.

Our autonomous vehicles aren't just test concepts-they're deployed to real clients right now. That means your work will have a tangible, visible impact.

We aren't robots. We just develop them.

We're a welcoming, diverse team of sharp thinkers and kind humans. Collaboration and trust drive our creative environment. At Cyngn, everyone's perspective matters-and that's what powers our innovation.

About this role:

Cyngn is seeking a Staff Mechanical Engineer who can own the mechanical design, integration, and release of major vehicle systems - while mentoring others and setting the technical bar for mechanical engineering at the company. This is a high-impact, technically demanding position where you will drive the development of core mechanical systems from concept through mass production. You will be responsible for specifications, CAD design, analysis, prototyping, testing, and release, while coordinating across teams and with external partners to deliver high-quality systems.

Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical technical specification, design, integration, and release for vehicle systems.
• Create CAD models, detailed drawings, and specifications for parts and assemblies (SolidWorks).
• Drive multiple product development cycles from concept to production, ensuring manufacturability and reliability.
• Troubleshoot issues, identify root causes, and design corrective/preventative solutions.
• Build, assemble, and run test fixtures for mechanisms - including necessary coding & electrical setups.
• Characterize sensing systems (encoders, sensors) for bandwidth, latency, and other system parameters to support closed-loop motor control.
• Develop and execute test plans, analyze results, and drive design improvements based on data.
• Work closely with electrical, software, and external engineering partners to meet system-level goals for safety, performance, and cost.
• Serve as design release engineer for systems such as hydraulics, sensors, and actuator assemblies.
• Own Bills of Materials (BOM), assembly structures, and documentation within PLM systems (Arena).
• Mentor junior engineers and help grow the mechanical engineering function.
• Direct external engineering firms as needed to expand development bandwidth.
• Collaborate with program management to plan development schedules, builds, and resolve supply chain challenges.

Qualifications

• 8-12+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, ideally in robotics, automotive, or other complex electromechanical systems
• Proven record of taking multiple products from concept through mass production.
• Strong proficiency with SolidWorks and 3D CAD modeling best practices.
• Deep understanding of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups for precision assemblies.
• Experience with PLM systems (Arena or similar).
• Hands-on prototyping and test experience - comfortable assembling and debugging systems in a lab.
• Familiarity with hydraulics, actuators, sensors, and other mechatronic subsystems.
• Strong system-level thinking and ability to collaborate across disciplines.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers and provide technical direction to external firms.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with a data-driven approach to design decisions.

Benefits & Perks

• Health benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA and FSA (Health & Dependent Daycare), Employee Assistance Program, 1:1 Health Concierge)
• Life, Short-term and long-term disability insurance (Cyngn funds 100% of premiums)
• Company 401(k)
• Commuter Benefits
• Flexible vacation policy
• Sabbatical leave opportunity after 5 years with the company
• Paid Parental Leave
• Daily lunches for in-office employees and fully-stocked kitchen with snacks and beverages
• Monthly meal and tech allowances for remote employees

$208,000 - $218,000 a year

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.