Lead Robotics Actuator Engineer

Job Title: Lead Robotics Actuator Engineer

Location: Downers Grove, IL

Employment Type: Full-time

Reports To: Founder & CTO

Work Authorization: Only "US Citizens/Green Card Holders"

Work Arrangement: On-site

Position Overview

The Lead Robotics Actuator Engineer will lead the design and development of a new generation of robotic servo actuators, from initial concepts and component selection through prototyping, testing, supplier qualification, and production.

The role focuses on developing precision gearboxes, brushless motors, bearings, shafts, housings, feedback systems, and their integration into reliable, compact, and manufacturable actuators.

This is a hands-on technical leadership position involving mechanical and electromechanical design, engineering calculations, prototype development, supplier coordination, testing, and production readiness.

The engineer will work closely with electrical, firmware, controls, and production teams to develop high-performance robotic actuators.

Key Responsibilities

1. Actuator Architecture and System Design

• Define actuator requirements based on application loads, motion profiles, duty cycles, operating environments, and expected service life.
• Establish continuous and peak torque ratings, speed requirements, overload capacity, output load limits, and thermal operating limits.
• Select suitable motors, gear reduction systems, gear ratios, bearings, and packaging designs.
• Evaluate torque density, reflected inertia, efficiency, friction, backlash, torsional stiffness, and backdrivability.
• Develop scalable actuator product families with common components across different sizes.
• Manage technical specifications, design reviews, development milestones, and engineering release readiness.

2. Precision Gearbox Design

• Design compact, precision gearboxes, particularly planetary gearboxes and small-module gearing systems.
• Develop gear geometry, including tooth counts, module, pressure angle, profile shift, face width, center distances, and single- or multi-stage arrangements.
• Evaluate planetary gear assembly, tooth interference, planet spacing, load distribution, and carrier design.
• Perform gear bending strength, contact stress, fatigue, and gearbox life calculations using appropriate engineering methods and standards.
• Analyze gear forces, shaft and carrier deflection, bearing loads, and housing stiffness.
• Develop backlash and tolerance budgets, considering manufacturing variations, assembly, temperature, and wear.
• Specify gear materials, hardness, case depth, heat treatment, surface finish, and accuracy requirements.
• Work with suppliers on gear cutting, grinding, shaping, skiving, inspection, and heat-treatment processes.
• Select appropriate lubrication and sealing methods to improve efficiency, wear resistance, service life, and temperature performance.
• Investigate and resolve noise, vibration, friction, backlash growth, uneven gear contact, and gearbox failures.

3. Brushless Motor Design and Development

• Develop and optimize brushless permanent-magnet motors for compact robotic actuators.
• Work directly with motor manufacturers and specialist engineering resources.
• Define stator and rotor geometry, slot/pole combinations, magnetic air gaps, magnet specifications, lamination materials, and winding configurations.
• Specify winding turns, conductor sizes, parallel strands, winding connections, slot fill, insulation, and manufacturing requirements.
• Analyze torque constants, back-EMF, resistance, inductance, torque-speed characteristics, current requirements, and voltage limitations.
• Evaluate magnetic saturation, cogging torque, torque ripple, copper losses, iron losses, and motor efficiency.
• Use electromagnetic analysis and prototype measurements to improve motor performance.
• Address rotor retention, magnet attachment, balancing, concentricity, bearing support, and assembly tolerances.
• Develop thermal models and heat-transfer paths through the stator, housing, and surrounding robotic structure.
• Establish continuous and intermittent motor ratings based on measured temperature rise and actual operating conditions.

4. Mechanical Integration and Feedback Systems

• Design actuator housings, output interfaces, shafts, bearing arrangements, preload systems, and retention features.
• Select and size bearings based on radial, axial, and moment loads, stiffness, speed, and service life.
• Develop precision datums, fits, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), and tolerance stack-ups for rotating assemblies.
• Integrate motor and output encoders, temperature sensors, connectors, and internal wiring.
• Address encoder alignment, runout, calibration, magnetic interference, resolution, and accuracy.
• Collaborate with electrical and controls engineers on motor-drive compatibility, commutation, field-oriented control, and position, velocity, and torque control.
• Understand how gearbox friction, compliance, backlash, and motor characteristics affect control performance and torque estimation.

5. Prototype Testing and Reliability

• Develop test fixtures and instrumentation to evaluate motors, gearboxes, and complete actuators.
• Measure torque-speed performance, efficiency, current consumption, thermal behavior, backlash, lost motion, torsional stiffness, and backdrive torque.
• Identify and separate motor, transmission, and control-system issues when diagnosing performance problems.
• Plan endurance, reversing-load, overload, shock, and environmental testing.
• Perform failure analysis on gears, bearings, windings, magnets, lubrication systems, and structural components.
• Compare engineering calculations and simulations with actual test results and improve designs accordingly.
• Establish validation criteria and maintain accurate, traceable test records.

6. Supplier Development and Production Introduction

• Identify and qualify suppliers for precision gears, motors, bearings, machined components, and specialized manufacturing processes.
• Prepare engineering drawings, specifications, bills of materials (BOMs), inspection requirements, and acceptance criteria.
• Review first-article inspections, gear inspection reports, motor test data, and supplier manufacturing capabilities.
• Develop assembly methods, alignment procedures, preload settings, lubrication specifications, and calibration processes.
• Work with production teams to establish assembly fixtures, tooling, work instructions, and end-of-line testing.
• Support pilot builds and production ramp-up.
• Resolve production issues affecting product quality, yield, consistency, assembly time, and reliability.
• Identify cost-reduction opportunities without compromising performance or product life.

Required Qualifications

• Typically, 7+ years of experience developing precision electromechanical products in actuators, gearboxes, electric motors, robotics, or closely related hardware.
• Demonstrated ownership of custom gearbox or geared-actuator designs that progressed beyond prototyping into manufacturing.
• Practical motor-design experience beyond selecting commercially available motors. Must have involvement in electromagnetic geometry, winding specifications, motor performance analysis, or custom motor development.
• Strong understanding of machine design, mechanics, materials, fatigue, tribology, electromagnetics, and heat transfer.
• Experience with precision gearing, rotating assemblies, bearings, tolerances, and manufacturing processes.
• Proficiency in parametric 3D CAD and production drawings. Experience with Autodesk Fusion and/or SolidWorks.
• Experience using engineering analysis tools and calculations to predict performance and investigate failures.
• Ability to understand relevant gear-rating and accuracy standards and translate technical requirements into supplier specifications.
• Hands-on experience with prototype assembly, instrumentation, testing, and root-cause analysis.
• Experience working directly with manufacturers to resolve technical and quality issues.
• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related discipline, or equivalent demonstrated technical expertise.
• Deep expertise in either gearbox development or motor development, along with meaningful design experience in the other area.
• Ability to take ownership of complete actuator development and direct specialist engineering work when required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing compact robotic joint actuators and low-backlash planetary gearboxes.
• Knowledge of small-module gears, precision heat treatment, and gear-finishing processes.
• Experience with frameless, outer-rotor, or high-torque-density brushless motors.
• Familiarity with electromagnetic design tools such as Ansys Maxwell, Motor-CAD, JMAG, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with gear design and analysis tools such as KISSsoft, Romax, or equivalent.
• Experience with torque sensing, dual-encoder architectures, and compliant mechanisms.
• Experience developing actuators for high-cycle reversing applications and backdrivable systems.
• Direct development experience with Asian motor and precision gear manufacturers.
• Experience scaling actuator designs into repeatable volume production.