Hardware, Tactile Gloves Lead
Other Engineering · Full-time
San Francisco, CA, USA · Toronto, ON, Canada · New York, NY, USA
About Mecka AI
Mecka AI is building the data infrastructure layer for robotics and embodied AI.
We design and operate global systems for data capture, data labeling, and hardware-enabled workflows used by leading AI labs and robotics companies to train and validate humanoid and embodied AI systems.
We work closely with frontier robotics teams to bridge real-world data, simulation, learning-based systems, and deployed hardware.
About the Role
You will build the tactile gloves that capture how people handle objects, use tools, and perform skilled work. Turning touch into reliable training data is a major challenge in teaching robots dexterity. Your work will take that capability from promising prototypes to hardware used for data collection at scale.
You will lead commercial glove evaluation and in-house development, from product requirements through validation and production. This is hands-on technical leadership across sensing, wearable design, electronics, firmware, and manufacturing, with accountability for performance, cost, and delivery.
What You Will Do
Define requirements and build milestones for sensing performance, fit, comfort, durability, calibration, and data quality.
Source and benchmark commercial gloves and sensors. Decide where to buy, adapt, or develop hardware based on measured performance, integration effort, cost, and supply.
Guide system architecture and build prototypes with sensing, mechanical, electronics, and firmware engineers. Resolve tradeoffs between signal quality, wearability, and manufacturability.
Own supplier selection, build schedules, component costs, tooling, and manufacturing readiness through engineering, design, and production validation (EVT/DVT/PVT).
Establish calibration methods, production tests, acceptance criteria, and fixtures that deliver consistent performance across units and improve manufacturing yield.
Lead pilot deployments and wear testing for repeated flexing, sweat, abrasion, and long-term signal stability. Turn failures into verified design improvements.
Skills and Experience
Experience personally taking a wearable, sensor-based, or similarly complex hardware product from prototypes through validation and production.
Deep hands-on expertise in sensing, electronics, mechanical engineering, or wearable design, with the ability to diagnose problems across the complete system.
Experience characterizing tactile, force, pressure, or comparable sensors. You can design experiments to measure sensitivity, hysteresis, drift, repeatability, and calibration stability.
Ability to reason about how flexible materials, sensor mounting, interconnects, and fit affect measurement quality and durability during real use.
Experience working directly with suppliers on design for manufacturing and test, tooling, production quality, and cost.
Ability to turn ambiguous requirements into testable specifications.
Nice to Have
Experience with tactile gloves, haptics, flexible circuits, textiles, or other hardware worn on the hand.
Experience scaling production calibration or collecting synchronized sensor data for robotics and machine learning.
About You
You are ambitious about what you build. You can point to results you personally delivered.
You care deeply about your craft, pursue difficult questions, and learn quickly.
You take initiative and own problems through to results. You work independently, make decisions, and bring others in when needed.
You communicate honestly. You own mistakes, share credit, and help the people around you succeed.
A Note on Applying
Studies show women and candidates from underrepresented groups often only apply when they meet 100% of the listed qualifications, while others apply after meeting 60%. If you don't check every box above but believe you can do the job, we encourage you to apply — we're looking for capability and trajectory, not a perfect checklist match.
Inclusive Hiring at Mecka
We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive candidate experience. Should you require any accommodation whatsoever during the interview process, please inform us without any hesitation. Mecka is dedicated to ensuring equal treatment and opportunity in all phases of recruitment, selection, and employment, in compliance with employment law. We do not discriminate based on gender, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other protected category. Mecka is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, fostering a culture of inclusivity and maintaining a work environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment
Mecka uses artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly to support administrative and efficiency-focused aspects of our recruitment process. This includes activities such as drafting job descriptions, generating interview questions, note-taking and recordings, and supporting sourcing and scheduling workflows. All candidate evaluations, interviews, and hiring decisions are made by members of the Mecka team. While AI tools may assist with screening and assessment, they do not replace human judgment in selection decisions. Our use of AI is intended to streamline routine tasks, improve consistency, and enhance the overall candidate experience. We are committed to upholding principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability in all hiring activities. Mecka regularly reviews its recruitment practices to mitigate bias and to ensure alignment with applicable laws and evolving best practices.