Senior Mechanical Design Engineer (f/m/d)

Our Mission

At Circus, headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin and Hamburg, we are pioneering global developments in on-demand autonomous food production, from creation to production and operation—enabled by seamlessly integrated cutting-edge robotics and transformative AI technology.
Our foundation rests on the extensive developments of groundbreaking robotics driven by artificial intelligence, which has been the missing link in achieving true autonomous food automation. This is the moment for a new status quo: Just as autonomous driving will disrupt how we build cities, organize our days, and live our lives, we will shift our entire reality around food.
Our team is backing a paradigm shift in one of humanity’s most important sectors, with the sharpest minds in Robotics, AI, Engineering, and Culinary, collaborating closely with industry-leading partners to revolutionize every aspect of the food service experience.
Join us as we forge ahead, crafting a future where the art of cooking and the science of technology converge to create a world that thinks differently about food than it has for thousands of years—a world where food means something new.

About the Role

As a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, you will be at the forefront of designing and evolving the mechanical architecture of our Robotic Kitchen. We’re looking for a visionary and hands-on mechanical engineer who thrives in early-stage product innovation and scaling into commercial deployment.
You will lead the mechanical design of entirely new modules and subsystems, own complex mechanical challenges from ideation to production, and collaborate across Robotics, Electrical, Software, Culinary, and Operations teams.

Your Daily Business

• Lead the design, testing, and release of mechanical components and subsystems for our robotic kitchen.
• Take full ownership of one or more modules—from early design concepts to prototyping, validation, and release.
• Collaborate with suppliers and partners, oversee DFM, and manage the industrialization of your parts and assemblies.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams (Robotics, Electrical, Culinary, Production, and Operations) to deliver robust and scalable designs.
• Drive continuous improvement of existing modules and systems to optimize performance, manufacturability, and cost.
• Execute technical documentation, testing plans, and risk assessments (including FMEA and operability analysis).
• Play a key role in shaping our internal engineering standards and development processes.

Base Qualifications

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• 4–7 years of experience designing mechanical systems and assemblies in complex mechatronic products, ideally for serial production.
• Proficiency in parametric CAD (preferably SolidWorks) and technical drawings for manufacturing.
• Strong experience across manufacturing techniques such as sheet metal, welding, 3D printing, injection molding, and casting. Kinematic design experience is a plus.
• Proven track record in prototyping, testing, and validating mechanical systems.
• Experience supporting both product innovation and production scaling.
• Familiarity with relevant norms, compliance standards, and safety/risk analysis.
• Agile mindset with a structured, solution-driven, and entrepreneurial working style.
• Excellent communication skills in English; German is a plus.
• Experience in the food-tech or commercial hardware domain is a strong advantage.

Preferred Qualifications

Our Offer

• Competitive Compensation: Receive a competitive compensation package with offered stock options for full-time employees.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy regular team events, a hybrid work setup, 2 months/year remote work (Worcation), and unlimited vacation days, along with a corporate pension plan.
• Personal Development: 500€ personal budget for training, in-house trainings, and growth opportunities in a fast-paced environment.
• Mobility: Benefit from a 50€ monthly budget for mobility or other expenses and a subsidized Dance Mobility Subscription for E-Bike/E-Moped.
• Well-Being: Get access to discounted Urban Sports Club membership and Wellhub for a variety of well-being offerings.

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