Mechanical Engineer
San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Jul 8, 2026
Hey, we're Glacier! Series A startup based in San Francisco tackling one of the world's most pressing problems: trash. Did you know that in the US, we send over half of our recyclables to the landfill? We're working to fix that. In doing so, we'll also be reducing carbon emissions, energy consumption, and depletion of natural resources.
Glacier builds custom sorting robots designed to sort apart recyclables as well as AI-powered business analytics that enable recyclers to superpower their plants and improve our society's circularity. From major CPG companies like Colgate and Amazon to municipal recycling facilities, our clients trust us to turn recycling data into actionable insights. Our technology has been recognized as one of TIME's Best Inventions and featured in a TIME documentary, TechCrunch, Fortune, and CBS.
As we scale, we're looking for a Mechanical Engineer to expand our hardware design bandwidth and own the long-term structural design behind our robotics and vision systems. You'll own the design lifecycle from whiteboard sketch to finished product, taking new and ambiguous problems and turning them into engineering requirements alongside the product team, then carrying them through prototyping and NPI.
This role reports to our Hardware Engineering Manager and requires a strong balance of structural design depth, hands-on prototyping, and the cross-functional, scrappy mindset of a startup engineer who can support the system from design through manufacturing.
Responsibilities:
Own Structural Design from Concept to Production
Own the long-term structural design for our projects: frames, mounts, and supporting structures for robotic and vision systems, balancing stiffness, strength, weight, cost, and manufacturability.
Perform calculations, simulations, and lab validations for structural components, using engineering analysis to confirm integrity and reliability.
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Develop mechanical architectures that survive demanding industrial environments while staying easy to manufacture, install, and service.
Drive End-to-End Mechanical Engineering
Take new and vague problems and turn them into engineering requirements alongside the product team.
Own the design lifecycle from initial sketch through prototyping, NPI, and production release, including detailed CAD (Onshape preferred), drawings, tolerances, and BOMs.
Perform tolerance analysis and create drawings that optimize DFM against assemblability.
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Work alongside peers on the electronics, dynamics, and pneumatics sides of the robot to deliver integrated systems.
Build Hands-On and Support the Startup
Build prototypes yourself: talk to the machine shop, buy inventory, stock tools, and spin up custom designs quickly.
Take ambiguous problems and drive them independently from concept through deployment.
Write SOPs and provide communication and teaching support for the build team.
Step up off-hours and at remote installation sites as needed on occasion.
What you bring:
B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or a similar field
3+ years in a technical engineering environment
Strong background in structural design (sheet metal, machined components, bolted joints, welded assemblies), with FEA and engineering analysis to validate designs
Solid understanding of materials and failure modes, with the judgment to balance performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost
Experience designing for manufacturing using CAD (Onshape, SolidWorks, or similar), GD&T, tolerance analysis, DFM/DFA, and production documentation
Hands-on prototyping skills and comfort in the lab with machining, fabrication, assembly, and mechanical testing
Experience working cross-functionally with electrical, software, manufacturing, and field teams
Comfortable in a fast-paced startup where priorities evolve and engineers own projects from concept through deployment
Excellent communication skills and a strong sense of ownership, with the ability to independently drive technical decisions
Bonus points:
Experience with Onshape
Experience working in a startup environment
Experience designing industrial equipment
Why join us?
Mission-Driven Work, be part of a company dedicated to sustainability and ending waste.
Cross-Functional Impact, work at the intersection of product, engineering, manufacturing, and field operations.
Fast-Paced Growth, help scale a cutting-edge robotics fleet in the recycling industry.
The base compensation range for this role is $110,000-140,000. In addition to cash compensation, Glacier also offers competitive equity compensation and benefits. The final compensation for this role will depend on many individualized factors, including job-related skills and knowledge, experience level, interview performance, and other factors.
If you're excited about owning structural design from sketch to fleet deployment, building hardware hands-on, and helping scale a cutting-edge robotics fleet in the recycling industry, we'd love to hear from you!
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