{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"baa24ba384140ebc80d3d5dd","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/baa24ba384140ebc80d3d5dd","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/baa24ba384140ebc80d3d5dd","title":"Lead Mechanical Engineer","description":"My client is building the next generation of critical-material manufacturing: decentralized, automation- and AI-driven \\\"mini mills\\\" that extract and refine rare earth and precious metals, positioning itself as \\\"the next Nucor and Glencore.\\\" The first mill processes e-waste - riding the tailwind of a 2026 executive order banning e-waste export – with plans to expand into broader urban mining and eventually owned mineral deposits.\nThe mini-mill model is designed to be roughly 5x faster and 80% cheaper to stand up than centralized competitors.\nPre-seed, backed by Cantos Ventures (a top-ranked early-stage deep-tech fund), with commercial offtake contracts already worth tens of millions of dollars. The founding team combines computer science, machine learning, and robotics backgrounds, and is opening one of the first new domestic critical-materials processing facilities in 20-30 years, in the Bay Area.\nAbout the Role One of the first senior hardware hires (informally the \\\"Head of Hardware Engineering\\\"), owning the build-out of the company's robotic systems and the manufacturing systems around them - not just individual components, but how the whole production system comes together and scales.\nKey Responsibilities Own end-to-end design, build, and integration of our robotic systems, from individual components (e.g., sorters) through full subsystem integration.\nArchitect and scale entire production systems - controls, manufacturing systems, and the path from prototype to industrial scale.\nBuild out internal engineering processes (design cycles, reviews) as one of the company's first senior hardware hires.\nManage and grow a small team of hardware engineers.\nTake on operational responsibilities as needed in a flat, fast-moving team.\nWork day-to-day inside our first live processing facility (opening within weeks).\nRequirements 5-10+ years of hands-on mechanical/hardware engineering experience at an elite, high-velocity manufacturer - SpaceX, Tesla, Anduril, Relativity Space, or a comparable space/defense/advanced-manufacturing company.\na track record of taking a physical system from design through build to a working, scaled production line.\nMechatronics/robotics design and build experience - comfortable across mechanical design, controls, and manufacturing-systems integration.\nDemonstrated career \\\"slope\\\" - fast progression into greater scope, not multiple years stalled in the same role.\nExperience designing/building for a company manufacturing its own hardware at increasing scale (vs. pure R&D/prototype work).\nBonus points if you have exposure to critical materials, mining, metals, or heavy-industrial manufacturing\n\n#J-18808-Ljbffr","company":"D24 Search","rawCompany":"d24 search","city":"Millbrae","state":"CA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-09-02T03:33:57.738Z","occupations":[{"code":"17-2141.00","title":"Mechanical Engineers","slug":"mechanical-engineers"},{"code":"17-2199.05","title":"Mechatronics Engineers","slug":"mechatronics-engineers"},{"code":"17-2199.00","title":"Engineers, All Other","slug":"engineers-all-other"}],"industries":[{"code":"333248","title":"All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing","slug":"all-other-industrial-machinery-manufacturing"},{"code":"541715","title":"Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)","slug":"research-and-development-in-the-physical-engineering-and-life-sciences-except-nanotechnology-and-biotechnology"},{"code":"541330","title":"Engineering Services","slug":"engineering-services"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Lead Mechanical Engineer","description":"My client is building the next generation of critical-material manufacturing: decentralized, automation- and AI-driven \\\"mini mills\\\" that extract and refine rare earth and precious metals, positioning itself as \\\"the next Nucor and Glencore.\\\" The first mill processes e-waste - riding the tailwind of a 2026 executive order banning e-waste export – with plans to expand into broader urban mining and eventually owned mineral deposits.\nThe mini-mill model is designed to be roughly 5x faster and 80% cheaper to stand up than centralized competitors.\nPre-seed, backed by Cantos Ventures (a top-ranked early-stage deep-tech fund), with commercial offtake contracts already worth tens of millions of dollars. The founding team combines computer science, machine learning, and robotics backgrounds, and is opening one of the first new domestic critical-materials processing facilities in 20-30 years, in the Bay Area.\nAbout the Role One of the first senior hardware hires (informally the \\\"Head of Hardware Engineering\\\"), owning the build-out of the company's robotic systems and the manufacturing systems around them - not just individual components, but how the whole production system comes together and scales.\nKey Responsibilities Own end-to-end design, build, and integration of our robotic systems, from individual components (e.g., sorters) through full subsystem integration.\nArchitect and scale entire production systems - controls, manufacturing systems, and the path from prototype to industrial scale.\nBuild out internal engineering processes (design cycles, reviews) as one of the company's first senior hardware hires.\nManage and grow a small team of hardware engineers.\nTake on operational responsibilities as needed in a flat, fast-moving team.\nWork day-to-day inside our first live processing facility (opening within weeks).\nRequirements 5-10+ years of hands-on mechanical/hardware engineering experience at an elite, high-velocity manufacturer - SpaceX, Tesla, Anduril, Relativity Space, or a comparable space/defense/advanced-manufacturing company.\na track record of taking a physical system from design through build to a working, scaled production line.\nMechatronics/robotics design and build experience - comfortable across mechanical design, controls, and manufacturing-systems integration.\nDemonstrated career \\\"slope\\\" - fast progression into greater scope, not multiple years stalled in the same role.\nExperience designing/building for a company manufacturing its own hardware at increasing scale (vs. pure R&D/prototype work).\nBonus points if you have exposure to critical materials, mining, metals, or heavy-industrial manufacturing\n\n#J-18808-Ljbffr","datePosted":"2026-09-02T03:33:57.738Z","dateModified":"2026-09-02T03:33:57.738Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"D24 Search","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Millbrae","addressRegion":"CA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"baa24ba384140ebc80d3d5dd"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/baa24ba384140ebc80d3d5dd"}}