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Pave Robotics

autonomous robotics · asphalt crack sealing

Founding Fabrication Technician

San Francisco Bay AreaPosted 2 months ago
Mechanical And Mechatronics EngineeringUnspecified
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Opens the source posting on ycombinator.com

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About the role

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This is a full-time, in-office role building real robots that operate in messy, real-world road environments. If you love turning half-baked ideas into rugged hardware, thrive in early-stage chaos, and want your work deployed in the field, not stuck in CAD, this role is for you.

Key Responsibilities

Build and iterate on early-stage robotic systems designed for unstructured outdoor environments

Fabricate custom robot components using CNC machining, welding, 3D printing, and manual machining

Work hands-on with metal and plastic fabrication (aluminum, steel, composites, polymers, etc.)

Rapidly prototype, assemble, modify, and repair robot hardware in support of aggressive field testing

Collaborate closely with EE and CS teams to integrate mechanical systems with electronics, sensors, and compute

Own mechanical builds from concept through deployment, including tolerancing, fixturing, and assembly

Troubleshoot mechanical failures in the field and redesign for durability, reliability, and serviceability

Improve manufacturability and repeatability of designs as systems mature

Help define and build out the company’s fabrication processes, tooling, and workshop capabilities

Move fast, make tradeoffs, and get hardware working under real constraints of time, cost, and environment

Qualifications

  • Proven experience building robots or complex electromechanical systems at early-stage startups

  • Strong hands-on experience with:

  • CNC machining (mills and/or lathes)

  • Welding (MIG/TIG preferred)

  • 3D printing (FDM/SLA)

  • General metal and plastic fabrication

  • Comfortable reading and working from CAD and engineering drawings

  • Experience assembling systems that integrate motors, actuators, sensors, wiring, and enclosures

  • Experience working cross-functionally with electrical and software engineers

  • Ability to rapidly prototype, test, break, fix, and improve hardware in tight iteration loops

  • Strong intuition for mechanical design tradeoffs: strength, weight, cost, tolerances, and reliability

  • Comfortable operating in a fast-paced startup environment with incomplete information

  • Self-directed, detail-oriented, and biased toward action

  • Portfolios, photos of past builds, or examples of shipped hardware are highly encouraged.

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