Mechanical Engineer - Structural Simulation

About the Team

DoorDash Labs is the hardware and autonomy innovation engine at DoorDash. We design, build, and deploy custom robotics and autonomous delivery systems designed to operate safely, efficiently, and reliably in urban environments. We are currently kicking off development on our clean-sheet, next-generation robot platform—rethinking the mobility foundation from first principles to dramatically improve efficiency, payload dynamics, and service lifetime.

About the Role

As a Senior Structural Simulation Engineer (Level IC5), you will be the foundational structural analysis authority for DoorDash Labs. You will own structural finite element analysis (FEA) across our next-generation robotic platform, working directly on core vehicle architecture—including chassis systems, suspension, closures, and sensor enclosures.

This role will be heavily focused on future-forward designs starting from the early concept phase. In your first 90 days, you will drive our architectural exploration, define early vehicle load cases, and make strategic software ecosystem decisions (including standardizing and driving our commercial commitments around simulation tools). As development advances, you will shift from rapid concept modeling to production-intent structural refinement and physical test-to-simulation correlation.

You’re excited about this opportunity because you will:

• Build From Day Zero: Lead structural concept validation for a ground-up robotic platform, running high-velocity trade studies alongside chassis, suspension, and closures engineers.
• Define Our Tooling & Workflows: Evaluate, select, and operationalize our primary CAE/FEA software tech stack (with an emphasis on ANSYS-based suites), negotiating capabilities and technical fit directly with vendors.
• Establish Load Cases & Criteria: Formulate first-principles structural load cases, fatigue histories, stiffness benchmarks, and failure criteria for dynamic ground vehicle environments where little historical data exists.
• Simulate Critical Vehicle Subsystems: Execute complex static, dynamic, modal, durability, and fatigue analyses on structural enclosures, cast and sheet-metal subframes, linkages, and moving mechanisms.
• Drive Test-Simulation Correlation: Partner with physical test teams to correlate strain gauge, modal shaker, and dynamic field testing data back into simulation models to maximize predictive accuracy.
• Influence Primary Architecture: Act as the math-first checkpoint for mechanical design decisions, steering CAD geometry toward optimized strength-to-weight ratios before parts hit prototype tooling.

We’re excited about you because:

• Deep Structural Domain Expertise: You bring 7+ years of hands-on structural FEA and mechanical simulation experience (or an advanced degree—MS/PhD—with 4+ years) focused on structural integrity, stiffness, fatigue life, and dynamic loading.
• Vehicle & Robotics Systems Background: You have a demonstrated track record analyzing moving vehicle architectures—such as automotive body-in-white (BIW), chassis frames, suspensions, structural battery enclosures, robotics, drones, or high-performance mobility platforms.
• Software Mastery (ANSYS Preferred): You are an advanced user of industry-standard finite element solvers (ANSYS Mechanical/Workbench strongly preferred; Abaqus, OptiStruct/HyperMesh, or LS-DYNA considered) and understand solver theory, element formulations, and convergence troubleshooting.
• First-Principles Mechanical Rigor: You possess strong mathematical and classical mechanics fundamentals; you don’t just hit "solve," but can gut-check stress distributions and shear loads with hand calculations.
• Ambiguity & Green-Field Ownership: You thrive in early-stage product definitions where requirements are fluid, documentation is sparse, and decisions must be made quickly with high technical conviction.
• Cross-Functional Communication: You clearly translate complex FEA stress tensors, fatigue curves, and deflection limits into actionable design guidance for mechanical design engineers and leadership.

Nice to Haves:

• Prior experience establishing or transitioning a company’s CAE software stack from scratch.
• Background in topology optimization, lightweighting cast/extruded aluminum structures, or composite material modeling.
• Direct experience running durability and fatigue analysis on systems subject to rough-road, curb-strike, or cyclic vibrational abuse.
• Working familiarity with CAD tools (e.g., NX, SolidWorks, or Creo) for rapid geometry defeature and design iteration.

Compensation

The successful candidate’s starting pay will fall within the pay range listed below and is determined based on job-related factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. Base salary is localized according to an employee’s work location. Ranges are market-dependent and may be modified in the future.

In addition to base salary, the compensation for this role includes opportunities for equity grants. Talk to your recruiter for more information.

See below for paid time off details:

• For salaried roles: flexible paid time off/vacation, plus 80 hours of paid sick time per year.
• For hourly roles: vacation accrued at about 1 hour for every 25.97 hours worked (e.g. about 6.7 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 3.4 hours/month if working 20 hours/week), and paid sick time accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (e.g. about 5.8 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 2.9 hours/month if working 20 hours/week).

The national base pay range for this position within the United States, including Illinois and Colorado.

$139,400—$205,000 USD