Product Design Engineer

Persona AI is developing and commercializing rugged, multi-purpose humanoid robots that perform real work. Persona’s founding team has a decades-long history in humanoid robotics, bionics, and product development delivering robust hardware that has touched the stars, worked miles below the surface of the ocean, roamed Disney Parks, and has even been featured on a US postage stamp. Our mission is focused squarely on shipping beautiful, reliable products at massive scale, while building a customer-focused team to achieve these aims.

Role Overview:

We're looking for an exceptional Product Design Engineer who dreams big, thrives on challenges, and loves seeing their designs come to life in the hands of customers. You have an eye for design and believe magic is in the details. We are primarily interested in candidates who have shipped products at scale.As an inaugural product design engineer at Persona, you will have an incredible opportunity to shape not only the functionality but the entire user experience of Persona's humanoid robots, while also helping set the design culture of the company. If you're passionate about creating technology that seamlessly integrates into people's lives and want to be part of a world-class team, we'd love to hear from you.

Your Role:

• Design hardware that will scale from initial concepts to mass production

• Work directly with the industrial design team to balance needs of engineering and design to integrate complex surface geometry with structures, actuators, sensors and electronics

• Create and refine mechanical designs for advanced humanoid robotics, including actuators, manipulators, and integrated systems.

• Own your designs from initial sketches through CAD modeling, prototyping, manufacturing, testing, and deployment

• Generate comprehensive documentation, including CAD drawings, block diagrams, test plans, fabrication, and assembly instructions.

• Interface with external manufacturing partners to optimize designs for manufacturing, testing, and assembly.

• Engage hands-on in the lab, transforming your designs from ideas to production systems through rapid, iterative, development cycles.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teammates (electrical, software, controls, UX/UI, and designers) to ensure seamless integration across the product.

• Solve fascinating engineering challenges daily, pushing the boundaries of robotics technology.

We’re Looking For:

• A passion for precise, elegant, scalable design.

• Proven track record bringing products to market, and shipping at volume.

• Bachelor's, Master's, in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related fields.

• 3+ years of experience designing consumer products or premium industrial/medical products

• Experience designing for high-volume mass manufacturing DFM processes such as cnc machining, injection molding, overmolding, casting, sheet metal, stamping, forming, etc.

• Experience with materials selection including metals, plastics, composites, etc.

• Experience with prototyping tools, manufacturing techniques, and material selection.

• Expert CAD user (Onshape, SolidWorks, Catia, Creo, NX, Fusion, etc.)

• Strong mastery of mechanical engineering fundamentals.

• A friendly, collaborative mindset, strong communication skills, and excitement to work hands-on in a dynamic, supportive team environment; design without ego.

• Proficient understanding of tolerance analysis and GD&T.

• A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating your specific contributions to projects.

Preferred or Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience designing cable harnesses, wire routing, or flexible PCBs

• Experience designing optical assemblies

• Preference toward working interdisciplinarily

• Experience collaborating with industrial designers, human factors, or UX/UI teams

• Skilled at complex surface geometry and tight packaging constraints in CAD

• Comfortable working with machine shop tools (mill, lathe, etc.)

• Keen attention to detail and craftsmanship, including fit and finish

Why join Persona AI?

• You'll shape technology that's redefining the possibilities of robotics and human interaction.

• Work alongside passionate teammates who value diversity, creativity, and continuous learning.

• Enjoy full access to advanced prototyping tools, labs, and the freedom to experiment and innovate.

• We offer competitive compensation, excellent benefits, flexible work environment, and equity opportunities.

Not sure if you meet all the listed qualifications? That’s okay!
We encourage you to apply anyway. Our needs are constantly evolving, and we're always looking for talented individuals who can grow with us. You might be exactly who we’re looking for — even if it’s for a role we haven’t thought of yet.

Persona AI embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We believe the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.