Mechanical Hardware Engineer

## About Us _"Seeing Systems is building autonomous drone systems that can perceive, navigate, and act intelligently in complex real-world environments."_ We're **advancing autonomy** through monocular vision, sensor fusion, and robust system design - drones that keep working where traditional systems fail, supported by an agentic stack that reduces operator cognitive load. Our first product is an **FPV-class drone** built from the ground up with a **modular hardware architecture**. If we get the first platform right, we can move fast on everything else: larger airframes, longer range, new payloads, and new mission profiles without rebuilding the stack each time. We were founded by brothers **Matthew and Alexander Le Maitre**. Matthew is a former Jane Street engineer and Cambridge CS graduate with a background in autonomous systems research. Alexander is a self-taught hardware engineer who has been building unmanned systems and military-grade electronics. We're an early-stage, fast-moving team working at the intersection of robotics, perception, and real-world deployment. We iterate weekly. We test in real environments. --- ## The Role You will design, build, and test the physical systems around our electronics as a core member of our growing hardware team. That means **hands-on mechanical engineering work** across our aircraft and ground stations: airframes, enclosures, mounts, thermal solutions, payload integration, and packaging. You'll take ownership of defined subsystems and see them through from CAD model to a validated part on a flying aircraft. You'll **report to our Founding Hardware Engineer** and work closely with Alex, our co-founder and hardware lead. This is a role for an engineer early in their career who wants to grow fast: you'll be given real responsibility, real deadlines, and real feedback from the field, with senior engineers beside you at the bench. **Within 30 days:** you've designed, prototyped, and fitted a part flying on one of our platforms and joined a field test. **Within 90 days:** you've taken a mechanical subsystem from CAD through prototyping to a validated revision flying on one of our drones. --- ## What You'll Do * **Design mechanical parts and assemblies** for defined subsystems under the direction of the Founding Hardware Engineer: airframe components, enclosures, mounts, payload interfaces, and ground station hardware. * **Own prototyping and iteration** for your subsystems: 3D printing, CNC and sheet-metal parts, fit checks, and rework through fast design cycles. * **Design for the environment**: vibration, shock, thermal management, ingress protection, and weight targets on flying platforms. * **Integrate electronics into airframes**: packaging, cable routing, connector placement, and serviceability, working closely with the electrical team. * **Build and maintain aircraft**: assembly, repairs, and configuration control across our test fleet. * **Run test campaigns** with our testing lead: prepare aircraft, capture data, log failures, and feed findings back into the next revision. * **Work with manufacturers** on quotes, DFM feedback, tolerances, and incoming inspection as we scale production. * **Use AI tools** to accelerate design, analysis, and documentation. --- ## What We're Looking For * Minimum 2 years of hands-on mechanical engineering experience (professional, or a genuinely equivalent portfolio of shipped personal projects). * Strong CAD skills in SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar - you've taken at least one part from model to manufactured, working hardware. * Solid grounding in materials, fastening, tolerancing, and design for manufacture. * Confident in the workshop: 3D printers, hand tools, and methodical fault-finding on physical assemblies. * Comfortable with the gap between "works on the bench" and "works at range in the field." * Bias toward shipping. * Comfortable getting outside and testing in the real world with us --- ## Nice to Have * Defence, aerospace, or UAV industry experience. * Personal experience building and flying drones, robots, or other unmanned systems. * Composites experience (carbon fibre layup, moulding, or repair). * FEA or thermal simulation experience. * Experience with injection moulding or other volume manufacturing processes. * Basic electronics literacy (soldering, harnessing, reading schematics). * Early-stage startup experience. --- ## Why Join * Real ownership of subsystems from day one, with senior engineers invested in your growth. * Fast iteration: hardware in operators' hands in months, not years. * Small, high-agency team with a direct line from idea to field test. * Real deployment pressure, real feedback, real learning. * A clear path to grow into broader hardware ownership as the team scales. * Snack of choice stocked in the workshop. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.