Mechatronics and Manufacturing Automation Engineer

Elve, Inc is a deep-tech startup in Davis, CA, specializing in the design and manufacturing of high-efficiency lightweight millimeter-wave and near-THz RF power amplifiers. Our groundbreaking technology enables 100x faster wireless internet access in urban settings and remote locations, revolutionizing the future of wireless connectivity well beyond 5G. We are looking for process development engineers to join our team and contribute to the advancement of our technology. If you are passionate about RF electronics, microfabrication, precision assembly, and working on cutting-edge technology, then we want to hear from you!

Job Description

This role owns the design, build, and deployment of physical automation systems across manufacturing and test operations. The Automation & Mechatronics Engineer will develop fixtures, tooling, robotics, and automated workcells that increase throughput, speed, consistency, and safety.

This is a hands-on role requiring comfort with hardware, controls, and iterative deployment in a live manufacturing environment. You can expect a split between design, coding, hands-on hardware assembly, implementation, validation, and hands-on hardware debugging.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement automated manufacturing and test equipment (robotics, fixtures, tooling, workcells), including robotic systems and IoT logging to improve throughput and reduce manual labor
• Collaborate with manufacturing, test, and quality teams to define automation requirements and perform safety and function validation
• Troubleshoot and improve existing automation systems for reliability and maintainability
• Develop and maintain documentation for automation systems including SOPs and maintenance procedures

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience in mechatronics, robotics, or automation engineering for manufacturing processes
• Experience with design, training, and deployment of robotics, sensors, actuators, and control systems
• Hands-on experience deploying automation in manufacturing or test environments
• Ability to independently design, build, and debug physical systems
• Python programming
• Proven knowledge and experience deploying IoT systems in production environments

• 3+ years of experience in relevant roles in a commercial setting
• Experience with industrial robotics, AI-driven robotics, or vision systems
• Familiarity with Solidworks and GD&T
• Familiarity with discrete manufacturing
• Experience working in fast-moving venture-backed companies

Benefits Include:

• The salary range for this position is $85,000 to $150,000 annually
• Health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
• Vacation
• A taste of the start-up life
• Exposure to cutting-edge technology in vacuum electronics, materials science, and additive manufacturing

We are an expanding team, on a mission to bring the next generation of high-speed wireless connectivity to a billion people worldwide. That kind of impact is not going to be achieved with incremental improvements- we are gunning for orders of magnitude advances in production capability, cost, size, and power in the mm-wave RF amplifier market. We work really hard, make sure we get good sleep, we handle conflict intentionally, and we expect great things from each other.