Whistle Robotics
Founding Mechanical Engineer
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Whistle Robotics
About Us
We're making automation accessible to every factory. Our mission is to enable small and medium-sized manufacturers to increase productivity, extend machine utilisation, and overcome labour shortages.
We build intelligent, task-specific robots (starting with CNC machine tending) that can be deployed quickly and easily. Our team combines deep technical and commercial expertise built by repeat founder Pete (who previously scaled and exited a venture-backed manufacturing company) and CTO Gio, who spent 15 years developing software at the intersection of AI and advanced manufacturing (CloudNC, Autodesk). We're backed by leading investors in these spaces.
The Role
As our Founding Mechanical Engineer, you’ll bridge the gap between software and the physical world. This isn’t a screen-bound role—its replete with hands-on work: designing/deploying hardware, prototyping, configuring automation, collaborating with customers to shape our product, and more.
Responsibilities
Design & Prototyping
- Translate ideas into production-ready hardware.
- Develop components from small items (custom camera mounts, sensor brackets) to scalable structures (heavy-duty sheet metal stands, enclosures).
Design for Manufacture & Supply Chain
- Establish optimise our supply chain.
- Advise on reliability, cost-effectiveness, manufacturability and ease of assembly.
Hands-On Fabrication
- Operate 3D printers, CNC mills, and lathes.
- Physical iteration—design-to-make cycle ensures rapid prototyping.
- Everything from blank metal stock to the final part: design and build it yourself.
Integrated Systems
- Deliver pneumatic, light electronics, and core safety mechanics (CE/UKCA compliance).
- Engineer workflows that align robot behaviour, shopfloor ergonomics, and real-world conditions.
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Customer-Centric Engineering
- Deploy solutions—in factories—learning directly from environmental challenges.
- Make guided decisions that ensure hardware operates resiliently in dynamic real-world constraints.
Requirements
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A passionate engineer with a hands-on mindset, seeking early involvement to shape a business.
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5+ years in a hands-on mechanical engineering environment (corporate or startup).
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CAD proficiency: Our designs are captured this way at all stages—when problems are fuzzy or crisp.
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Positive track record in hardware sourcing: ability to interpret datasheets, liaise with suppliers, forge relationships to bridge missing gaps.
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Robotics passion/background: curiosity fosters actionable solutions.
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Metal fabrication expertise: naturalistic expertise in CNC mill/turning, sheet metal design, welding and 3D printing.
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Applied physics:
Practically grasp structural engineering implications. For example, the ability to model, and validate glass, sheet metal and composite builds to account for dynamic robotic loads—ensuring designs remain stable under vibration.
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Technical literacy:
Read and compare technical drawings, datasheet comparisons, and negotiate vendor specifics without hesitation.
Note on Experiencecriteria
Exceptional achievers often “wait for perfection” before applying. We’re asking only for 5+ years in a wakeful, flexible mind. What matters more than a checklist are:
- Your innate ability to learn.
- Grit and drive.
- Your demonstrated capacity to solve real problems.
If you’re a brilliant engineer, who loves building things but missed this ‘ix’—apply. We value chip-away ingenuity over rigid models of history.
Why Join Us?
Equity & Influence Potential
- Ground-floor venture: a leadership role as a founding team member.
- Own meaningful stakes. Your equity will reflect palpable contributions as a compelling reminder of what’s within your reach.
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Meaningful Impact
- Deploying physical AI robots within factories this year.
- Driving machine utilisation rates upwards, enabling manufacturing scalability for vulnerable local businesses.
Team Culture
- Work shoulder-to-shoulder with seasoned founders.
- Pete: VP-level manufacturing scaling experience.
- Gio: AI system architect in high-growth evolutions like CloudNC (acquired by Autodesk).
Equipment & Autonomy
- Dedicated, well-equipped lab in London.
- Rounded mandate: prototype, test, apply, iterate—with access to scalablible resources.
Our Values
“Less predictable than competing factories; multi-disciplinary consensus ensured outcome not politics.”
Driven by Curiosity
- Diffuse beyond your discipline, Surrey-style.
- Kinder & restless learner (“humility + hard nuts”).
- Dive into a problem —all goals start at square one.
Focused & Incremental
- Ship high-quality work productively.
- ** not down hours but down hard questions—one focus, one test, until takeaway is painful yet rewarding.
Extreme Ownership
- Take responsibility for ensuring the bag is full.
- See a gap in product flow? Go for it.
- Trackable ‘yes’ to whatever’s afloat—in full confidence.
Greater Than the Sum of Parts
- A company’s pulse is built through grand geeky collaboration.
- We in-person build:
- Whiteboards as much as CGI.
- All the best engineering play happens when we are together—whether with soldering iron or a scribble.
- Unity drives execution. We thrive on that.
Be ready to etch your name intoabler’s trident—apply if this landscape beckons you.
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Jessica, London
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