Find jobs
Pricing
Sign in
FIND JOBSPRICINGSIGN INSIGN UP
← Back
PR
Proception Inc

šŸ¦ Softgoods Engineer

LocationPalo Alto, CA
Work modeon-site
Typefull-time
Company size11+ people
First seen2w ago
Last seen2d ago
All open roles
Mechanical
šŸ¦ Softgoods Engineer
Palo Alto, CA (On-Site)/Full-time
Apply nowShare
About the role
About the company
At Proception, we are engineering the next generation of highly dexterous humanoid manipulators. Our mission is to bring machines closer to human capability by merging innovative mechanical design, sensor integration, and intelligent control. We’re looking for a full-time Softgoods Engineer to own the soft interface between our robots and the world—the skins, pads, and compliant structures that make dexterous manipulation possible. Grip, compliance, durability, and tactile sensing all live or die at the surface. You’ll work at the frontier of soft materials engineering, where elastomer mechanics, textile construction, and sensor integration meet real-world contact.
Requirements
•
011+ years of experience engineering softgoods, elastomer components, or soft robotic systems for consumer hardware, wearables, prosthetics, medical devices, or robotics
•
02Hands-on mastery of silicone casting and molding—mold design, degassing, cure profiles, inserts, overmolding, and bonding soft materials to rigid substrates
•
03Deep working knowledge of elastomer material properties: Shore hardness selection, hyperelasticity, tear strength, compression set, abrasion resistance, and aging
•
04Experience prototyping with your own hands—casting, sewing, skiving, laser cutting, 3D printing molds, debugging failed pours at midnight
•
05Fluent in CAD (Fusion, SolidWorks) for mold and soft-part geometry, including draft, parting lines, and undercut strategy
•
06Designed soft parts for real-world wear: cyclic loading, friction and grip degradation, contamination, cleaning, and field replacement
•
07Startup reflexes: you bias toward execution, learn fast, and document like it matters
•
08(+) Experience with tactile sensor integration—capacitive, magnetic, resistive, or optical sensing embedded in soft structures
•
09(+) Experience with FEA of hyperelastic materials (Mooney-Rivlin, Ogden) or characterization testing to fit material models
•
10(+) Experience with textiles, films, foams, or multi-layer laminated constructions
•
11(+) Experience taking soft parts from prototype to production—compression molding, LSR injection, or cast urethane at volume
Details & responsibilities
•
01Architect and build the soft anatomy of our humanoid hands: fingertip pads, palmar surfaces, joint skins, and protective covers that deliver human-like grip and compliance
•
02Design multi-layer soft structures—graded-durometer pads, foam cores, fabric reinforcement, and sensorized skins—that survive millions of contact cycles
•
03Own the full soft-part lifecycle: material selection, mold design, casting, post-processing, attachment, and field replacement strategy
•
04Develop and run durability, friction, and compression test protocols; iterate based on wear data and field failures—fast
•
05Integrate tactile sensing elements into soft structures in collaboration with our sensing and electrical teams
•
06Drive soft parts toward manufacturability: repeatable processes, vendor qualification, and a path from benchtop casting to production molding
•
07Collaborate tightly with mechanical, controls, and perception teams to deliver integrated, elegant robots
Compensation & benefits
•
01Competitive salary and meaningful equity
•
02Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
•
03Work with world-class researchers and engineers in AI and robotics
•
04High-ownership role: you will define the softgoods discipline at Proception from the ground up
•
05Help define and build next-generation embodied intelligence systems
Hiring process
Interested in this role?
Applying takes a few minutes — you’ll need an account to submit.
Apply now
More roles at Proception Inc
šŸ¦€ Embedded Linux Intern – Rust / Real-Time Linux (6-12 months)🧮 Physics Modeling and Simulation Intern (6-12 months)🧪 Mechatronics Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Engineering Intern (6-12 months)šŸŽØ Industrial Design Engineer Intern (6-12 months)šŸ¦€ Firmware Intern – Rust (6-12 months)
Seekless
Product
Find jobsCompaniesPricing
Legal
PrivacyTermsCookies
Ā© 2026 SEEKLESS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.BUILT WITH CARE