The University of Pittsburgh/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) is a collaborative venture advancing rehabilitation technology. Committed to enhancing the independence and quality of life for individuals with disabilities, HERL merges expertise from academia and the VA system. Our mission is to innovate, design, and implement cutting-edge technologies, promoting mobility, accessibility, and improved quality of life for people with disabilities. Through interdisciplinary research, HERL strives to empower individuals and shape the future of assistive technology.

HERL is seeking to hire a full-time staff engineer to serve as a Mechatronics Engineering Lead on a major sponsored project. This position is suited for candidates with a strong foundation in mechanical, electronics, bioengineering, and/or robotics engineering. The successful applicant will contribute to the systems integration, process optimization, and quality assurance of the mechanical and electronics systems of a novel assistive mobility technology aimed at enhancing mobility for individuals with disabilities.

An engineering bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, mechatronics, aerospace, manufacturing, biomedical (product design focus), engineering mechanics or a closely related field is required, with advanced degrees highly preferred. The following additional skills and experience are strongly desired:

• Proficient in CAD tools (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, etc.) and rapid prototyping techniques.
• Experience in kinematic/dynamic modeling and system analysis (e.g. MATLAB/Simulink, ANSYS, or similar tools).
• Familiar with integrating hardware, electronics, sensors, and actuators within embedded control systems.
• Familiar with electronic communication protocols (e.g. UART, I2C, SPI, CAN).
• Hands-on experience in prototype fabrication, bench testing, and data-driven performance validation.
• Knowledge of process design, optimization, and quality control.
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams developing assistive mechatronic systems.
• Experience with systems integration involving hardware and software elements.
• Experience with circuit board design and fabrication.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Incumbent must successfully complete a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs background check. The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity, EOE, including disability/vets.

Coordinates a team of engineers across simultaneous, multiple projects. Collaborates with investigators to define project scope and produce documentation. Maintains technologies, creates proper use protocols, and identifies new tools and procedures. Oversees and investigates safety-related incidents. Prepares budget.

• Develop, document and refine mechanical and electronics architecture for an assistive mobility platform.
• Define process parameters and quality metrics for product performance and manufacturing.
• Perform mechanical, structural, and materials analysis using CAD/CE tools (e.g. SolidWorks, ANSYS, Autodesk).
• Analyze and validate platform's kinematics and dynamics behavior using multi-body dynamics, FEA, and control systems modeling (e.g. MATLAB/Simulink).
• Oversee the fabrication, assembly, and bench testing of hardware components and full-scale prototypes.
• Support prototype development and bench testing of mechanical and electromechanical subsystems. Conduct root cause analysis on test failures and iterate on process improvement.
• Collaborate with the engineering team to integrate mechanical subsystems with embedded control architectures. Oversee alignment between hardware components, sensors, actuators, and control systems during process implementation.
• Prepare detailed technical documentation and presentations.
• Ensure all processes adhere to safety, quality, and regulatory standards as applicable to ensure safety of participants using experimental devices. Support internal and external audits.
• Ensure compliance with University and VA Pittsburgh Healthcare Systems Institutional Review Board (IRB) policies and procedures.

Light. The candidate will be required to move objects up to 25 pounds occasionally. Work is performed in both industrial and office environments.