CAD Designer

About Standard Bots

Standard Bots is a New York-based robotics company building AI-powered six-axis robot arms designed and manufactured in the United States. Founded to make industrial automation more accessible and affordable, Standard Bots takes a vertically integrated approach — developing its own hardware, software, vision system, and electronics — so manufacturers of all sizes can deploy robots without specialized expertise or coding skills. Standard Bots' robots are trusted by organizations ranging from independent machine shops to NASA and Lockheed Martin. Standard Bots is the largestU.S. industrial robotics company by robots shipped and one of the fastest-growing in the industry.

📍 Location

This role is onsite 5 days/week onsite in our South East PA shop

Role overview

As a Machine Designer on the Implementation team, you will be the mechanical design authority behind Standard Bots' custom automation solutions. You'll take customer requirements and site survey data and transform them into fully engineered cell layouts, end-of-arm tooling, custom fixturing, and fabrication-ready drawing packages — while collaborating closely with Automation Engineers from project kickoff through successful customer handoff. You're comfortable leading design reviews with internal engineers and presenting CAD models directly to customer manufacturing teams. You hold yourself to high standards on precision, manufacturability, and documentation clarity.

What you'll do

Mechanical Design & Engineering

Create 3D models and detailed fabrication drawings for robotic automation cells, end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), custom fixtures, machine guards, and structural support using SolidWorks

Design to manufacturing constraints for sheet metal, welded fabrications, and machined components

Manage bills of materials (BOMs) for sourcing and procurement

Apply GD&T; principles to ensure designs are manufacturable, inspectable, and repeatable across production runs

Conduct FEA on structural and load-bearing components to validate safety margins before releasing drawings to fabrication

Cell Layout & Integration Design

Develop full 3D cell layout models that account for robot reach envelopes, collaborative safety zone clearances, operator access paths, and equipment footprint

Define and document EOAT specifications, interface plates, quick-change systems, and tool change architectures in coordination with Automation Engineers

Collaborate on I/O routing, pneumatic manifold placement, cable management, and sensor mounting within the mechanical assembly design

Review installation sequences and identify design-for-assembly improvements that simplify field deployment

Customer-Facing Design Support

Present concept designs, CAD models, and layout drawings to customer operations and engineering teams for review and approval

Incorporate customer feedback and site constraints — including ceiling height, floor load ratings, aisle clearances, and existing equipment interfaces — into design iterations

Produce complete, accurate as-built documentation packages upon project handoff, including drawings, BOMs, and design notes

Design Standards & Continuous Improvement

Build and maintain a reusable component library of standard fixturing elements, EOAT components, quick-change tooling, and cell design building blocks

Define and enforce internal design standards, drawing templates, revision control protocols, and file management procedures

Identify recurring design challenges and propose standardized solutions that reduce engineering time on future projects

What you'll bring

3–5 years of hands-on CAD design experience in an industrial automation, robotics integration, or custom manufacturing environment

Portfolio of completed automation or equipment designs taken from concept through fabrication and installation

Demonstrated experience designing EOAT, fixtures, or custom automation components for collaborative or industrial robots

Technical Skills

Expert proficiency in SolidWorks; familiarity with AutoCAD for 2D layouts and wiring diagrams

Strong GD&T; knowledge and experience creating production-ready drawing packages for external fabrication shops• Design experience across common manufacturing processes: sheet metal, welded structural steel, machined parts, and 3D-printed components

Familiarity with robotic reach envelopes, collaborative safety zone requirements, and machine guard design standards

Experience selecting and specifying off-the-shelf automation components: pneumatic actuators, quick-change tool changers, linear rails, force/torque sensors, and vision system mounts

Working knowledge of electrical conduit routing, cable management, and pneumatic line placement within mechanical assemblies

Soft Skills & Mindset

Meticulous attention to detail

Collaborative, communicative, pragmatic, and fast-moving

Self-directed with the ability to manage your own project workload

Nice to have

SolidWorks certification

Experience with robot simulation or offline programming tools (e.g., RoboDK, DELMIA, or similar) for verifying reach and clearance in 3D environments

Background in machine tending, palletizing, welding automation, or assembly applications

Familiarity with ANSI and CE machine safety design requirements

Experience designing for regulated industries

OSHA courses or equivalent manufacturing safety training

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Design Technology, or equivalent practical experience

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this role is $80,000 to $130,000. We are open to a variety of seniority levels for this role and will build compensation packages that are commensurate with seniority and skill level. Base salary is just one part of the overall compensation at Standard Bots. All Full-Time Employees are eligible for Employee Stock Options. We also offer a package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees.