Boston Dynamics

Senior Technical Team Lead, Mechanical Engineering

Boston Dynamics$135K — $167K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
  • 8+ years in electromechanical hardware product development with ownership of complex product launches.
  • 2+ years of experience managing a technical team.
  • Expertise in 3D CAD (CATIA preferred) and electromechanical product architecture.
  • Experience with external vendors on electromechanical assemblies or drivetrain components.

Responsibilities

  • Guide a team of mechanical engineers in designing high-performance robotic actuators.
  • Participate in the development of robot product strategy and actuator roadmaps.
  • Create and manage plans to achieve team objectives.
  • Drive system-level design decisions regarding motors, sensors, and manufacturability.
  • Evaluate and introduce new technologies to enhance performance and scalability.
  • Lead technical trade studies and guide architectural decisions across disciplines.
  • Manage technical risk through design reviews and validation planning.
  • Mentor engineers on design standards and best practices while promoting inclusivity.

Benefits

  • Collaborative and innovative work environment at the forefront of robotics technology.
  • Opportunities for professional development and mentorship.
  • Engagement with cross-disciplinary teams and external partners.
  • Travel opportunities to collaborate with global suppliers.
  • Participant in shaping future robotic technologies and actuator systems.
Full Job Description
We are looking for a Senior Technical Team Lead to manage a team of mechanical engineers to design, develop, and support high-performance Actuator Products for next-generation humanoid robotic platforms. This role sits at the intersection of product design, cutting-edge motor and drivetrain technology, and manufacturing, shaping how complex electromechanical systems are conceived, integrated, brought to life at scale, and maintained in the field. The actuators enable our robots to move and accomplish their complex work - this is a critical role on the Atlas team. As a Senior Technical Team Lead at Boston Dynamics, you are not just a people manager. You will be responsible for guiding a team of Architects and Mechanical Engineers, mentoring and coaching people as well as providing technical oversight and backstopping.

You'll help define long-term hardware design and product strategies, lead technically complex programs, and work closely with cross-functional partners to deliver robust, scalable, and innovative robotic actuator systems.

What You'll Do:
  • Technical Leadership: Guide a team of mechanical engineers to design, develop, and continuously improve high-performance robotic actuator products.
  • Product Strategy: Participate in developing overall robot product strategy and actuator product roadmaps.
  • Execution: Create and manage plans to complete the necessary work to accomplish the team's objectives.
  • System-Level Design: Drive and backstop system-level design decisions across motors, sensors, mechanical packaging, thermal management, data and power transfer, and manufacturability.
  • Innovation: Evaluate, derisk, and introduce new technologies to improve performance, reliability, and scalability.
  • Collaborative Design (DFx): Lead technical trade studies and guide key architectural decisions in collaboration with systems, software, controls, manufacturing, and sourcing teams.
  • Risk Stewardship: Manage technical risk mitigation through design reviews, FMEAs, and validation planning.
  • Mentorship & Development: Support and mentor engineers through design reviews, standards development, and architectural best practices, while fostering an inclusive team environment.
  • Partnerships: Collaborate with external vendors and partners to develop, scale, and deliver actuator products.


What You Bring:
  • A track record of leveraging a team to deliver impact.
  • Experience building consensus and aligning decision-making across disciplines and levels through collaboration and clear communication.
  • High proficiency in 3D CAD (CATIA preferred or equivalent) and deep experience architecting complex electromechanical products, with an emphasis on motors, speed reducers, electronics packaging, and thermal management.
  • Strong understanding of actuator design challenges, including thermal management, input and output load management, sensor integration, gears, and bearings.
  • Ability to lead architectural trade studies, resolve ambiguous design challenges, and balance innovation with practical manufacturing constraints.
  • Experience working across disciplines and influencing technical direction without direct authority.


Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
  • Professional experience in electromechanical hardware product development, including meaningful ownership of complex product launches (typically 8+ years).
  • Professional experience managing a technical team (typically 2+ years).
  • Experience collaborating with external vendors and suppliers on electromechanical assemblies or drivetrain components.
  • 5%-10% international travel required to support the global supplier and partner network for actuator products.


We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas for this position.

The salary range for this position will be clearly stated in the job posting as required by Massachusetts law. The base pay range for this position is between $135,000 - $167,000. Base pay will depend on multiple individualized factors including, but not limited to internal equity, job related knowledge, skills and experience. This range represents a good faith estimate of compensation at the time of posting.

Boston Dynamics will never ask you to divulge your personal financial or account information as part of its recruiting process.

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About Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics is an American engineering and robotics design company founded in 1992 as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company is best known for the development of BigDog, a quadruped robot designed for the U.S. military. Boston Dynamics has also developed a number of other robots, including Spot, a four-legged robot designed for indoor and outdoor operation, and Atlas, a humanoid robot designed for a variety of search and rescue tasks. In 2013, the company was acquired by Google X, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. In 2020, the company was acquired by Hyundai Motor Group. Boston Dynamics is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Learn more about Boston Dynamics
Size
300 employees
Industry
Founded
1992

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