Mechanical Engineer, Saronic
Forward Deployed
+ Stock Options & bonuses
Unmanned vehicles for maritime security
Be an early applicant
Unmanned vehicles for maritime security
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
+ Stock Options & bonuses
1001+ employees
Company mission
To redefine maritime superiority.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field. Master's degree is a plus
- 3+ years of experience working on integrated mechanical/electromechanical systems, preferably in fielded or mission-critical environments
- Hands-on expertise in mechanical assembly and fabrication (CNC, sheet metal, 3D printing, etc.)
- Hands-on expertise in rapid prototyping and system-level debugging
- Proficiency with FEA (static, modal/vibration, and shock) to validate designed parts and mounts, and the judgment to know when hand calcs are enough
- Experience designing electrical enclosures and housings with thermal management and ingress protection (IP67+, sealing, venting, connector selection)
- Strong understanding of materials and corrosion in marine environments, including dissimilar-metal isolation, coatings, and fastener selection
- Experience designing sensor and payload mounts for ruggedized environments, including structural brackets, masts, and isolators
- Comfort working with CAD (SolidWorks, NX, or similar) and field integration setups
- Experience working with a Linux-based operating system
- Willingness to work in dynamic, hands-on environments, including on and near the water
- Strong sense of ownership and bias for action; thrives solving open-ended problems in real-world environments
- Experience with autonomous systems, drones, or other robotic platforms preferred
- Familiarity with maritime environments or naval platforms preferred
- Exposure to ruggedized or IP-rated hardware design preferred
What the job involves
- We are seeking a versatile Forward Deployed Mechanical Engineer to join our technical team. You will have a strong mechanical background and be responsible for bringing our technology from the lab to the fleet
- This is not a traditional engineering role. You will be responsible for deploying our systems into the real world, directly supporting maritime missions
- You will integrate mechanical payloads, debug complex system-level problems, and iterate hardware designs in the field to ensure success. This is a highly hands-on and field-oriented role with time split between the lab, fabrication spaces, and the waterfront
- Design systems to support mechanical integration of novel systems and payloads onto our Autonomous Service Vessels (ASVs) and maritime platforms
- Lead rapid prototyping efforts (mechanical) to support field experimentation and platform evolution
- Perform mechanical bring-up, integration, and troubleshooting of structural, sensor-mount, and payload subsystems
- Own dockside and sea trials — prepare vessels, install new mechanical hardware packages, and perform system validation in operationally relevant environments
- Drive design-for-assembly and design-for-deployment feedback into mechanical product development
- Work closely with cross-functional teams, including Electrical, Software, and Autonomy Engineers, to evolve and harden system designs
- Interface with suppliers and fabrication shops to support fast turnarounds of custom mechanical components
- Contribute to documentation and training to support the scaling of deployment and manufacturing
- Physical Demands
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Occasional standing and walking within the office
- Manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment
- Visual acuity to read screens, documents, and reports
- Occasional reaching, bending, or stooping to access file drawers, cabinets, or office supplies
- Lifting and carrying items up to 20 pounds occasionally (e.g., office supplies, packages)
Our take
Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) are vehicles which operate at the surface of the water without a crew and can be used in oceanography and environmental monitoring, as well as for cargo transport or military applications. Saronic is a company developing USVs to have enhanced awareness and improved survivability, to be employed in maritime security.
Saronic's vehicles are designed to be smarter than previous models, with capabilities including adaptive path planning, multichannel communication, and the ability to better identify and track targets through a combination of passive sensors and advanced algorithms.
Saronic is clearly charting an ambitious course for the future of maritime innovation too. Through its strategic partnership with NVIDIA, the company has embedded cutting-edge AI and edge computing directly onto its autonomous vessels. By combining Saronic's shipbuilding and autonomy expertise with NVIDIA's advanced computing, the company is delivering smarter platform while modernizing US shipbuilding for the era of autonomy. With this momentum, Saronic should be able to scale its next-generation maritime solutions and lead the transformation of a critical industry.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (last 2 of 5 rounds)
Mar 2026
$1.8bn
SERIES D
Feb 2025
$600m
SERIES C
Total funding: $2.6bn
Company HQ
South Manchaca, Austin, TX
Leadership
Dino Mavrookas
(Co-Founder & CEO)Board Member of the Navy SEAL Foundation, and former Entrepreneur In Residence at 8VC. Spent 11 years as a Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy, from 2004 to 2015.
Rob Lehman
(Co-Founder & CCO)Founder of 9 Line Solutions, who is also a Communications Officer in the US Marine Corps. Previously the Chair and CEO of Temeku Technologies.
Vibhav Altekar
(Co-Founder & CTO)Former Advisor and Angel Investor for Standard Metrics and Chef Robotics. Spent 4 years working in Machine Learning at Anduril Industries.
Doug Lambert
(Co-Founder & COO)Former VP of Engineering at Terradepth. Before that, worked at Liquid Robotics for a total 8 years, ultimately as Head of Engineering.
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