{"id":3495375,"url":"https://alion.io/job/persona-ai-mechanical-engineer-data-collection-hardware","title":"Mechanical Engineer, Data Collection Hardware","company":{"id":63117,"name":"Persona AI","domain":"persona.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/persona-ai","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":87,"open_postings":6,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.333,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":61,"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"middle","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Pensacola, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":63000,"max_usd":115000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":4330},"experience_years_min":4,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Fusion 360","optional":false},{"name":"GD&T","optional":false},{"name":"Siemens NX","optional":false},{"name":"SolidWorks","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-29T21:24:23Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-29","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T12:26:43Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":3,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":3},"description":"Job Title: Mechanical Engineer, Data Collection Hardware\nDepartment: Software Engineering\nEmployment Type: Full-Time\nFLSA Status: Exempt\nLocation: Pensacola, FL\nTravel: 10%\nWho We Are\nPersona is building humanoid robots for the most demanding environments in heavy industry - shipyards, steel mills, fabrication facilities, and offshore platforms - performing welding, grinding, maintenance, inspection, and material-handling work that is dangerous, physically demanding, and increasingly difficult to staff.\nWe are backed by leading strategic and financial investors and engaged with global industrial leaders across Korea, Japan, the United States, and Singapore. Korea is the center of gravity for our early commercial strategy, anchored by relationships with the world’s leading shipbuilders and steelmakers. Our work spans both the robot platform itself and the systems, partners, and playbooks required to deploy it at scale.\nWhy Join Persona?\nWe offer competitive compensation, a performance-based bonus, 100% employer covered medical benefits for most healthcare plans, early-stage equity, competitive PTO, and company-wide paid winter break between December 24th and January 2nd.\n\nYou’ll shape technology that’s redefining the possibilities of robotics and human interaction.\n\nWork alongside passionate teammates who value creativity, and continuous learning.\n\nAbout the Role\nAs a Mechanical Engineer focused on Data Collection Hardware, you will bridge the gap between human operators and humanoid kinematics. Your time will be spent in fast-paced rapid development of handheld UMI data-collection tools capable of capturing delicate contact dynamics. Later, there will be the opportunity for rigorous, precision engineering as you architect and build a hand and human exoskeletons.\nTo train robot foundation models at Persona, we will be relying on massive amounts of high-quality, human-demonstrated data, including rich force and tactile feedback. We are looking for a highly capable Mechanical Engineer to own the physical hardware our operators use to collect data. You will initially be responsible for rapidly iterating on agile, handheld Universal Manipulation Interface (UMI) devices.\nWhat You Will Be Doing\nForce-Aware UMI Hardware Design: Design, rapid prototype, and assemble handheld UMI frames, grippers, and mounting rigs that accurately mimic our humanoid’s hand mechanics while integrating load cells and force-torque sensors to capture contact forces.\n\nSensor & Actuator Integration: Design precise, vibration-resistant mounts for spatial tracking sensors, GoPros, embedded electronics, and force sensors in the UMI. Seamlessly integrate high-resolution encoders and haptic-feedback motors in the console to enable robust, force-aware data collection corresponding with the robot’s senses.\n\nRapid Prototyping & Manufacturing: Seamlessly shift between rapid in-house 3D printing for UMI iterations and sourcing machined metal components (CNC, sheet metal) for the console structure.\n\nDesign for Assembly and Design for Manufacturing: Should be proficient in DFM, DFA, and GD&T concepts.\nDefining PCBA outlines when working with EE (mounting points, outline).\n\nChoosing appropriate materials for housing.\n\nShock-vibe considerations.\n\nExperience with industrial design and the human experience.\n\nWorkstation Ergonomics (Human Factors): Apply human-factors engineering to design seating and viewing angles that accommodate the 5th to 95th percentile of human operators during extended, fatigue-free data collection sessions.\n\nIP rating considerations for equipment used outdoors (water resistance).\n\nHuman ergonomics when designing for use with human hands.\n\nBasic thermal analysis for components mounted with hardware.\n\nWhat We Are Looking For:\nEducation: B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a closely related field.\n\nCAD Proficiency: 4+ years of advanced experience with 3D CAD modeling software (OnShape, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Siemens NX), managing both small parts and large, complex workstation assemblies.\n\nPrecision Mechanism Design: Proven experience designing multi-axis kinematic systems, selecting bearings, and managing cable-drive or low-friction transmission systems.\n\nForce & Tactile Sensing Integration: Demonstrated experience integrating load cells, 6-axis force-torque (F/T) sensors, or tactile arrays into mechanical assemblies to capture physical interactions.\n\nHuman-Factors Experience: Demonstrated understanding of ergonomic principles and designing hardware that physically interfaces with human users for long durations.\n\nPrototyping Expertise: Deep hands-on experience with both rapid prototyping (advanced 3D printing) and traditional manufacturing processes (machining, turning).\n\nHardware-in-the-Loop: Experience designing enclosures and structural routing for delicate sensors, heavy optics/monitors, and cable management.\n\nBonus Skills:\nPrevious experience in teleop and data collection devices, such as surgical robotics (e.g., designing consoles or master controllers for systems like Da Vinci, Monarch, or Ottava).\n\nExperienced with implementing optics/cameras, such as:\nAccommodating FOV estimates.\n\nChoosing appropriate window materials.\n\nBackground in mechanical haptics, force-feedback systems, and admittance/impedance control hardware.\n\nExperience designing flight simulators, driving rigs, or high-end VR hardware.\n\nFamiliarity with mechatronics and integrating smart servos into mechanical assemblies.\n\nExperience with designing human wearables (watch/pedometer/glasses).\n\nPersona is an Equal Opportunity Employer.\n All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5895,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":4,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Continuous learning","Equity"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Robotics AI","Industrial Robotics","Humanoid Robots"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-30T01:10:50Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 2","filings_12m":2,"filings_prev_12m":0,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":172500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-29T16:27:21+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":3,"expected_fill_days":61,"reasons":["conf:2","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/persona-ai-mechanical-engineer-data-collection-hardware","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/persona-ai-mechanical-engineer-data-collection-hardware.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-02T14:52:45Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":20566,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-03T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":63117},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=63117"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fpersona-ai-mechanical-engineer-data-collection-hardware"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fpersona-ai-mechanical-engineer-data-collection-hardware"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fpersona-ai-mechanical-engineer-data-collection-hardware"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/persona-ai-mechanical-engineer-data-collection-hardware\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fpersona-ai-mechanical-engineer-data-collection-hardware"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3495375}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"persona.ai","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3495375},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. Docs: https://alion.io/developers"}}