Senior Mechanical Engineer, Plastics and Polymers, DeepMind

Job description

Work with sensing engineers to embed conformal, flexible sensing modalities directly within plastic and polymer based matrices to detect contact mechanics, strain, and slip without compromising material compliance. Evaluate and select engineering plastics, elastomers, and advanced polymers based on mechanical strength, friction, thermal limits, wear characteristics, and environmental resistance. Design and prototype of complex plastic enclosures, structural components, and compliant polymer surfaces for specialized robotic accessories and payload modules. Partner directly with toolmakers, molders, and suppliers to manage tool design reviews, moldflow analysis, DFM feedback, tooling qualification, and first article inspection sign-offs. Apply rigorous Design for Manufacturability/Assembly principles to ensure yield and scalable production. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or equivalent practical experience. 4 years of experience creating both rigid and compliant plastics and polymer based parts. Experience in manufacturing processes, including single/multi-shot injection molding, overmolding, insert molding, resin selection, and tooling design constraints. Experience analyzing and solving wear, fatigue, and degradation tests across joints or high-cycle mechanical interfaces. Experience with polymer fabrication techniques (3D printing, silicone casting) and executing test setups to evaluate mechanical properties, compliant joint performance, and fatigue life. Preferred Qualifications: Experience embedding sensors or functional elements inside elastomeric substrates or flexible matrix composites. Experience with micro-molding, precision lithography, casting, or additive manufacturing techniques. Understanding of the supplier landscape for sourcing, scale manufacturing, and if necessary, customizing materials. Demonstrated ability to thrive in an ambiguous, fast-paced research environment and collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams while maintaining discipline best practices to provide scalable designs.