Aquatic is currently seeking a highly motivated and technically sophisticated Mechanical Engineer. This engineer will play a central role in the design and development of our core technology stack, focusing largely on the the mechanical (and electro-mechanical) aspects of sensors (chemical, physical, biological), connectors, pressure vessels, and optical / acoustic devices, as well as research and development on novel mechanical approaches to persistent autonomous sensing throughout the Earth’s waters.

Description

About Aquatic

Aquatic's mission is to reveal the invisible throughout the world's waters.

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Aquatic is combining cutting-edge semiconductor technology, transformative ocean science, agile development methods, and modern fabrication approaches to create globally-scalable tools for tracking carbon, nutrients, and biodiversity persistently and pervasively throughout the world’s oceans – tools that are absolutely essential and desperately needed for monitoring and verification of ocean carbon sequestration, as well as a host of other global industries.

From tracking ocean carbon to monitoring changing ecosystems, Aquatic is redefining what is possible to know underwater.

Job Description

Aquatic is currently seeking a highly motivated and technically sophisticated Mechanical Engineer. This engineer will play a central role in the design and development of our core technology stack, focusing largely on the the mechanical (and electro-mechanical) aspects of sensors (chemical, physical, biological), connectors, pressure vessels, and optical / acoustic devices, as well as research and development on novel mechanical approaches to persistent autonomous sensing throughout the Earth’s waters. They will also play a key role in the design of abstraction layers and specified interfaces that will have industry-scale impact through Aquatic and a network of industrial and non-profit partners. The work will require expertise and implementation of mechanical designs (including everything from conceptualization to computer modeling and simulation to rapid prototyping to testing and engineering for manufacturing) and will work closely with electrical and embedded systems colleagues to tackle complex and global-scale problems. The position will involve occasional field deployments / testing at-sea to support data collection and experimentation, as well as post-processing and analysis. Finally, this position will oversee rapid prototyping and fabrication efforts at Aquatic, including the fabrication and assembly of prototype devices.

The internal working title for this position is Senior Engineer, but the final level of the position will be determined by the selected candidate’s level of experience, expertise, and ambition. We have multiple open positions, so interested applicants at a variety of levels are encouraged to apply.

Our highly collaborative team is based at our new facility in Central Square, Cambridge, MA, with additional facilities available at The Engine and MIT.nano. While everyone on the team is welcome to work remotely from time to time as convenient, the expectation is that this role will be largely in-person and on-site.

Essential Functions

In this position you will imagine, design, prototype, iterate, and commercially deploy innovative devices tackling some of the thorniest problems in the ocean. This position requires a strong engineering background, meticulous work habits, strong interpersonal skills, curiosity, creativity, self-motivation and professionalism. Specific responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Leading the design, fabrication, testing, and deployment of all mechanical aspects of major Aquatic projects, with supervision consisting primarily of milestone progress reviews
Applying creativity and powerful independent thinking to implementing, and inventing, radically new technologies — from novel sensing methodologies to passive energy harvesting hardware to novel housing / encapsulation / variable buoyancy strategies, biomimicry, novel materials and biodegradability, etc
Developing and prototyping new mechanical designs and techniques using CAD, CAM, and a wide array of rapid prototyping tools;
Analyzing equipment problems using drawings/documentation and schematics in conjunction with mechanical test equipment and procedures.
Collaborating with electrical and other engineers to integrate and co-develop complex systems incorporating electrical, optical, acoustic, and mechanical constraints and components, interacting with the entire Aquatic team to brainstorm new approaches to hard problems within and well beyond your specific expertise
Playing a significant role in report writing and proposal preparation, patent applications, and publications
Will initially supervise one or more Engineers and/or Technical Assistants, and will actively grow their team according to Aquatic’s aggressive growth strategy.
With little supervision, will work creatively and independently to establish objectives, meet deadlines, and complete difficult engineering assignments by demonstrating full competency in one or more engineering areas; assists substantively in planning technical aspects of experiments, as well as design, testing, and use of major system components.

Education & Experience

Educational requirements:

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electromechanical, or Ocean Engineering (or similar) with at least 5 years of relevant experience.
Alternatively, a Ph.D. or Master's degree in mechanical engineering or similar with related experience.
Candidates with a Bachelor's degree but with minimal experience in an unrelated field, or candidates without a formal engineering degree but with strong evidence of an established, specialized engineering skill gained through experience, may be considered for Engineer or Technical Assistant positions.
All candidates should possess demonstrated excellence within a related field, i.e., a record of superior accomplishment-such as patents, publications, or documented instrumentation or systems

Skills and qualifications:

Excellent mechanical design, rapid prototyping, and fabrication skills.
Fluency in CAD/CAM tools (Autodesk suite a plus), as well as sufficient fluency with electronic design tools and software languages and development tools to work collaboratively with the full engineering team.
Experience in engineering for manufacturing and the deployment of complex mechanical systems in punishing real-world environments
Experience with supply chain management and logistics related to hardware development and deployment.
Comfort with basic electrical engineering and the design / fabrication of complex electronic devices.
Adaptable to the dynamic environment of a startup.
Share our core values and demonstrate a growth mindset.

Other skills that are desirable but not required include:

Experience with precision sensing and analog-digital interfaces.
Experience working with oceanographic systems.
Experience with data analysis.

Benefits

Aquatic provides a variety of benefits including medical, unlimited PTO, flexible hours and (partial) hybrid working opportunities. Aquatic is an equal opportunity employer.

Aquatic Labs is an equal opportunity employer.

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