Software Test Automation Engineer

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer | Palo Alto, CA

Contract Details: Contract Position (Extension Possible) | Palo Alto, CA(W2)

About the Role: We're seeking an experienced Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the design, development, and validation of mechanical systems and components for next-generation electric vehicle platforms. This high-impact role offers direct executive visibility, early involvement in concept-to-production engineering decisions, and the opportunity to drive a business-critical product development initiative that is essential to the company’s launch and long-term manufacturing success.

You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams across engineering, manufacturing, and supplier partners—ensuring robust, manufacturable designs, resolving complex technical issues, and guiding the mechanical architecture from prototyping to mass production.

Top Skills/Responsibilities:

• Experience with electronics testing/probing/harnessing technologies like mass interconnect solutions (VPC), specialty probes (Ingun), etc
• 5 years of relevant working experience designing modular mechanical hardware for test automation systems that range from R&D to high-volume manufacturing
• Expert at using 3D CAD design software like Autodesk Inventor,, SolidWorks (most preferred), AutoCAD, ProE, etc

This role will design mechanical test systems for vehicle electronics. You’ll work on developing mechanical solutions for design characterization, validation, and manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Design modular and reusable mechanical fixtures for testing vehicle electronics. This will start with manual bench-top setups and will evolve to fully automated systems for volume production
• Work with cross-functional engineering groups to define mechanical test requirements for electronics and drive design decisions that help with the testability of ECUs.
• Design custom mechanical interfaces to connect to ECUs. This can range from pogo-pin connections to bed-of-nails style probing
• Design rack-based test systems that reduce complexity and improve build time when replicating at scale
• Create well documented diagrams, bills of materials, and standard operating procedures for test automation systems
• Develop and release drawings, BOM and specifications.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external vendors during purchasing, station build, integration and final commissioning
• provide technical oversight to vendors for manufacturing of mechanical components and systems
• Work with technicians to communicate requirements and ensure proper implementation

Qualifications

• BS/MS or equivalent work experience in Mechanical Engineering or related fields
• 5 years of relevant working experience designing modular mechanical hardware for test automation systems that range from R&D to high-volume manufacturing
• Expert at using 3D CAD design software like Autodesk Inventor,, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, ProE, etc
• Ability to read electrical circuits and schematics, navigating PCB layouts and understand manufacturer’s product data sheets
• Experience working in the automotive, semiconductor, or aerospace industries
• Experience with electronics testing/probing/harnessing technologies like mass interconnect solutions (VPC), specialty probes (Ingun), etc
• Experience supporting deployment automated test equipment in manufacturing environments
• Hands-on hardware integration experience with automated test equipment

Nice To Have

• Familiarity with vehicle communication protocols (CAN, CANFD, DoIP, Automotive Ethernet, LIN, etc.)
• Experience with automation instrumentation such as programmable power supplies, multiplexers, DMMs, signal analyzers, signal generators, multifunction devices (digital and analog)`