R&D Mechanical Engineer

🧑‍🚀 Spacebrains for Recruiters is now in beta. Try it at app.spacebrains.techR&D Mechanical EngineerAerostacksflexible hoursfreelancemedior/seniorStartup / ScaleupRole Snapshot You’ll help turn Aerostacks’ radar-based snow sensing prototype into a robust, field-ready hardware product. The product is a sensor mounted on a snow groomer, designed to operate in snow, freezing temperatures, water, vibrations, and demanding outdoor conditions. This role is for a hands-on Senior Mechanical / Hardware Engineer who has helped build real physical products — not only CAD models. You’ll work closely with the founding team and RF/hardware contributors to design the mechanical architecture, enclosure, mounting concept, and practical product details needed to test the system in a ski resort environment. Key Responsibilities Assess the current mechanical design and identify key risks, weaknesses, and improvement areas Design a more robust mechanical architecture for the sensor system Develop the mounting concept for installation on a snow groomer Design or improve the enclosure protecting electronics, RF components, cabling, and connectors Solve practical challenges around water resistance, vibration, serviceability, and durability Support fast prototyping through 3D printing, CNC, off-the-shelf components, and rapid manufacturing methods Think through field failure modes: what can break, loosen, leak, freeze, vibrate, or become hard to service Collaborate with RF/hardware engineers to ensure the mechanical design supports signal performance and protects sensitive components Recommend practical manufacturing and assembly approaches for the next prototype iterations Help move the system from a lab-style prototype toward a product that can be mounted, tested, maintained, and improved in real conditions What You Bring Technical Toolkit Strong mechanical design skills for real-world hardware products Experience with CAD, 3D printing, CNC, and rapid prototyping Practical understanding of enclosures, mounting systems, seals, fasteners, cables, connectors, and service access Ability to design for water resistance, vibration, impact, temperature changes, and outdoor reliability Good engineering judgment around manufacturability, assembly, cost, and iteration speed Ability to work with incomplete information and make pragmatic design decisions Basic understanding of electronics packaging and how mechanical decisions affect hardware reliability Professional Experience 5+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, hardware product development, or physical product design Proven experience helping build a real physical product that operated outside the lab Track record of turning prototypes into more robust, testable, and manufacturable systems Hands-on approach to prototyping, testing, debugging, and improving mechanical designs Ability to think beyond CAD: assembly, service, field use, cables, mounting, failure modes, and user constraints Clear communication style and ability to collaborate with a small multidisciplinary team Startup mindset and motivation to solve an unusual, practical engineering problem Nice-to-have Experience with defense hardware, IoT devices, automotive, robotics, industrial sensors, or ruggedized electronics Experience designing products for harsh environments such as cold, water, dust, vibration, impact, or outdoor use Familiarity with vehicle-mounted hardware or equipment used in field conditions Basic understanding of RF, radar, antennas, sensors, or electronics integration Experience supporting early-stage hardware teams from prototype toward production Interest in mountain environments, snow, robotics, outdoor hardware, or field testing LanguagesEnglish - B2 (must have)Slovak - C1 (optional)BenefitsR&D Mechanical EngineerAerostacksBratislava, Slovakia1000-4000 € / monthFreelancerPart-timeMedior, SeniorLog in or sign up to applyorApply with LinkedInQuick application with your LinkedIn...