OUR MISSION
To tackle the growing e-waste problem, Molg enables circular manufacturing with robotics and design. Its robotic microfactories can autonomously disassemble complex electronic products, and the team partners with leading manufacturers to design electronics with reuse in mind — ensuring one product’s end is another’s new beginning.
Molg combines advanced robotics and intelligent software to transform how electronics are manufactured and recovered. Working with partners like HP and Dell, leading hyperscalers, and industrial companies such as ABB and Stanley Black & Decker, Molg’s solutions recover valuable materials from existing devices while helping create the next generation of products optimized for circularity. This dual focus on recovery and design innovation drives Molg’s mission to keep materials in use and reduce waste.
As a Mechanical Engineer at Molg, you will lead the design and development of advanced end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), fixtures, and other supporting electromechanical elements — to enable autonomous disassembly of complex electronics. Your work will directly impact the effectiveness of Molg’s robotic microfactories and our broader mission to create scalable circular manufacturing systems. This role is ideal for an experienced mechanical engineer who thrives on solving unconventional automation challenges in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.
In this role you will:
Design, prototype, and iterate custom robotic tooling systems optimized for disassembly tasks such as gripping, unscrewing, cutting and material separation.
Translate real-world process, product, and automation requirements into robust mechanical solutions that handle variability in components, fasteners, and tolerances.
Develop modular, interchangeable tools to support a range of devices and scalable system configurations.
Collaborate closely with robotics, controls, software, and electrical engineers to ensure tight integration between tooling systems and motion planning, sensing, and automation workflows.
Conduct mechanical analyses — including tolerance stackups, FEA, and DFM — to ensure durability, precision, and manufacturability.
Participate in the full product lifecycle — from early concept and CAD through fabrication, testing, manufacturing, and system deployment.
Use field data and feedback to iterate on tooling performance and drive improvements for future builds.
Depending on your experience and interest, you may take on a people leadership role — supporting the growth and mentorship of other engineers on the team.
You are an experienced mechanical engineer with a strong track record of designing real-world tooling or automation systems. You thrive at the intersection of design and implementation, bringing curiosity, precision, and cross-functional collaboration to every stage of development.
Minimum qualifications:
5–7 years of professional (non-internship) experience in mechanical engineering, with a focus on automation, robotics, or custom tooling design.
Deep experience in mechanical design for complex systems, with proficiency in CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Autodesk Fusion 360, or similar.
Familiarity with EOAT and robotic tooling, including gripping, fastening, or cutting tools — and their integration with sensors, actuators, and robot arms.
Strong knowledge of fabrication methods (machining, 3D printing, sheet metal, etc.) and ability to rapidly prototype and test in-house.
Experience working cross-functionally with robotics, controls, software and electrical teams to ensure seamless system integration.
Strong problem-solving and debugging skills across mechanical, electrical, and system-level interfaces.
Comfort working hands-on and in-person with physical systems in a dynamic R&D environment.
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and driven to deliver robust, production-ready solutions.
WHO WE ARE:
We spend our days building robotic systems, developing complex assembly intelligence software, and designing the next generation of circular products for our customers. Given the importance of working hands-on with physical systems, we are a 100% in-person team collaboratively working in our industrial space in Sterling, VA, down the road from the largest data center market in the world. Our facility includes a variety of robots, CNC milling machines, 3D printers, and all the tools needed to build and test our products. It is important to us that anyone on our team that is interested in learning how to use our various pieces of equipment and machinery is taught and can gain the skills and appreciation for making physical things.
THINGS TO KNOW:
We’re a small collaborative team with big ambitions, and there’s a good amount of context-switching. We expect people to be autonomous and drive their own work to completion.
We are building an economically scalable thriving business to maximize our impact, which means we are scrappy and looking to build a great sustainable company for years to come.
As a growing company and startup, priorities may shift as customer or business requirements change. We strive to empower individuals with context and decision-making power to meet this need.