Lead Mechanical Engineer

About the Company Our client is a renewable energy and ocean technology company committed to rapidly developing and deploying technologies that will ensure a sustainable future for Earth by unlocking the vast energy potential of its oceans. Our clients focus is on capturing civilizational levels of ultra-low-cost renewable energy for applications including computing and affordable renewable fuels delivered to shore.

The company is a public benefit corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon and backed by leading venture capitalists, philanthropic investors, university endowments, and private investment offices. They operate as an idea meritocracy in which the best ideas change the company's direction on a regular basis.

This is a direct hire, permanent placement position for a client of AdAstra Talent Advisors.

About the Role

Our client is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer to join their team and provide technical leadership for the mechanical design and development of the core technology, the "Node." The Node is a device designed to produce energy in the harshest ocean conditions for extended periods without maintenance. This role is crucial to the success of their mission. You will be responsible for the hull and the team that forms the backbone of our Nodes.

This is a role that requires deep structural design experience, ability to make outstanding technical contributions, and leadership abilities that are effective in a humble and high performance culture. While defining the design for the Nodes, you will build and manage a team to support the future iterations of the Nodes. The ideal candidate is a technical expert and a practical builder comfortable with personally conducting detailed design work, values working alongside our manufacturing team, and is a skilled leader who has well developed interpersonal skills and a passion for developing others. You must thrive in a creative, scrappy, and collaborative environment.

Current staff has worked at organizations such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke, Boeing, Virgin Orbit, Virgin Galactic, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, New Relic, Bridgewater, Raytheon, Disney Imagineering, Bridgewater Associates, and the US Army and Air Force, as well as research universities, startups, and small companies across a range of industries. Our client is organized as a public benefit corporation and are backed by leading venture capital firms, private investors, philanthropic investors, and endowments.

They strive to be the best engineering team on the planet and they compensate their engineers accordingly. If you are an excellent engineer and technical leader, regardless of your background, they want you to apply.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for the Node Hull structural design and integrity.
• Accountable for the team that defines the Node primary and secondary structures.
• Lead and participate in design reviews with the internal team and interface with external fabricators and vendors.
• Mentor and guide other engineers and designers, fostering a culture of technical excellence.
• Oversee project documentation and create detailed engineering releases using drawings and GD&T as appropriate.
• Partner closely with our Manufacturing and Operations team to produce new Node designs and design increments that achieve targets for cost and performance.
• Develop and maintain expert level use of CAD software personally and within the team for engineering definition and release.

Requirements

Preferred Experience

Logistical Requires

Benefit Highlights

Compensation is determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

Equal Opportunity Our client is an equal opportunity employer. They evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin / ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

About AdAstra AdAstra Talent Advisors is a headhunting and talent advising firm focused on the Climate, Space, and Defense sectors of Hard Tech. We specialize in pairing highly technical and executive talent with some of the world's leading Hard Tech startups.

At AdAstra, we catalyze the innovations that future generations depend on by placing the right people in the right seats. Our dedicated work enables inconceivable technology from Earth, to the stars. And it's all because of trailblazing talent like you - those driven to do what's never been done before.

We care about long term relationships with both candidates and companies. Even if the role we initially discuss isn't a perfect fit, it's likely we'll have something relevant to share with you in the future.