Hardware Validation Engineer (Mechanical)

About Origin

Origin (previously 10xConstruction) is building general-purpose autonomous robots for US construction to tackle rising costs, safety risks, and labour shortages. Our modular, multi-trade platform combines purpose-built hardware with real-time site intelligence to navigate complex environments and execute tasks with precision. Trained in high-fidelity simulation and already deployed on live sites, our robots deliver faster execution, stronger project economics, and meaningful cost savings. Join India’s talent-dense robotics team, with colleagues from IITs, Stanford, UCLA, and other leading institutions.

About the role

As Hardware QA Engineer - Mechanical, you will own verification and validation of mechanical subsystems and complete robot assemblies from prototype through production. You will translate design intent, field requirements, and safety expectations into practical test plans, fixtures, inspection methods, and release criteria. You will work closely with mechanical design, manufacturing, embedded, deployment, and supplier teams to find issues early and ensure every robot can survive demanding construction-site use.

Key responsibilities

- Build and maintain mechanical DVP&R plans covering structural, environmental, endurance, ingress, vibration, shock, thermal, dimensional, and abuse testing.

- Design test fixtures, measurement setups, and repeatable inspection procedures for components, assemblies, and full robots.

- Execute prototype and production validation, document results, and drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions.

- Define incoming, in-process, and end-of-line quality checks with manufacturing and suppliers.

- Review drawings, GD&T, tolerances, materials, fasteners, welds, and critical-to-quality characteristics.

- Track defects, reliability trends, and field failures; translate lessons into design and process improvements.

- Support design reviews, supplier qualification, pilot builds, and production-release decisions.

Required qualifications and skills

- Bachelor’s degree or diploma in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Automotive, or Aerospace Engineering.

- 2+ years of hands-on mechanical testing or validation experience.

- Strong understanding of engineering drawings, GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, metrology, and mechanical inspection tools.

- Experience creating test plans, executing experiments, analysing failures, and writing clear test reports.

- Proven experience automating repetitive test cases to improve testing efficiency.

- Working knowledge of root-cause methods such as 5 Why, fishbone, fault-tree analysis, and 8D.

- Hands-on experience conducting DFMEA, PFMEA, or similar risk analysis processes.

- Ability to work safely around heavy electromechanical systems and field equipment.

- Strong ownership, attention to detail, and cross-functional communication.

Preferred experience

- Robotics, automotive, off-highway equipment, aerospace, industrial machinery, or other rugged physical products.

- Environmental and durability testing, supplier quality, NPI, or end-of-line test development.

- Familiarity with ISO 9001, APQP, PPAP, FMEA, or functional-safety-oriented validation.