Mechanical Engineer (New Grad)

Join Applied, a leading company in the self-driving vehicle industry, as a Mechanical Engineer. In this role, you will be involved in the entire product design lifecycle, contributing to the mechanical design of various components and systems. You will also support testing and evaluation of sensors and develop hardware for harsh environments. This position is open to new graduates who will complete their degree by the end of 2026.

• Support the mechanical engineering development of Applied Vehicles, contributing to the mechanical design of the external sensor suite, compute assembly, and vehicle interior.
• Perform structural and thermal analysis of mechanical designs, supporting the design, analysis, and validation of systems at the component, assembly, and fully integrated vehicle level.
• Work directly with engineers to design, fabricate, and assemble custom test fixtures, and perform incoming quality control on design hardware.

• Familiarity using CAD to navigate, design, or modify 3D models (SolidWorks preferred)
• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering or an equivalent program, completed in 2026 (summer/fall/winter 2026 graduates welcome)
• Exposure to FEA/CAE through coursework or projects
• Coursework, internship, research, or project experience designing and building physical hardware
• Formula SAE, Baja, solar car, rocketry, robotics, or similar hands-on build team experience
• Ability to write clear technical documentation
• Strong hands-on shop skills and a willingness to work in a lab and vehicle garage environment
• Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway
• Hands-on machining, CNC, metalworking, or welding experience
• Experience with hardware reliability and testing
• Automotive repair and maintenance experience
• Exposure to AV components — lidar, radar, cameras
• NVH experience
• Experience designing, drawing, or prototyping custom harness cable
• Basic scripting (Python) for test execution and data capture