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Founding Mechanical Engineer
Voltic (Yc S22)
Other Engineering
Boston, MA, USA
USD 100k-200k / year + Equity
Posted on Jan 7, 2026
Voltic
Electric cargo ships
Founding Mechanical Engineer
$100K - $200K•0.01% - 3.00%•Boston, MA, US
Job type
Full-time Role
Engineering, Mechanical Experience
11+ years Visa
US citizen/visa only Connect directly with founders of the best YC-funded startups.
Apply to role › Prosser Cathey
Founder
Prosser Cathey
Founder
About the role
We are looking to hire a founding mechanical engineer. You would be the first dedicated mechanical engineer hired at Voltic and one of the first hires in general. You will have the opportunity to take on a diverse set of responsibilities, eventually leading teams tackling our most important projects.
You will work directly with Voltic leadership to launch our first commercially relevant systems. Your work will include system-level problem solving, CAD, and physical prototyping. You will work on challenging engineering problems, ensuring our system survives in some of the harshest environments on the planet. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience launching complex hardware systems. While a plus, background in maritime engineering and electrical engineering is not required.
Core responsibilities
- Lead the design, analysis and prototyping of Voltic’s solar array and battery systems
- Design on-deck storage, deployment and retraction systems for the solar array
- Conduct structural Finite Element analyses (FEA) of such systems to ensure survivability in the maritime environment
- Create and maintain technical drawings to be shared with colleagues and manufacturers
- Develop and manage Bills of Materials (BOMs) for costing and system build-out
- Physically assemble prototypes in Boston to prove viability of designs.
Qualifications
- Experience taking designs from concept to prototype to mass-production
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or closely related field with 10+ years of mechanical and structural design experience from concept to working prototype, or:
- M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering with 8+ years of experience, or:
- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with 5+ years of experience
- Experience with Design for Manufacturing/Assembly principles and manufacturing processes (sheet metal, welding, machining, 3D printing, etc.).
- Proficiency in a CAD software such as SolidWorks or Fusion 360
- Proficiency in a FEA software package such as Abaqus or Ansys
- Comfortable working in an early-stage startup environment with evolving requirements and limited precedent
Since our physical engineering takes place at the Port of Boston, in-person participation is required. Full-time is preferred. However, we are open to part-time or temporary arrangements where there is potential for a switch to full-time in the future. Compensation and equity-package is highly dependent on experience level.
About the interview
In your message on YC, please include a brief description of your role in the launch of a cutting-edge hardware product.
About Voltic
Voltic is launching US-built cargo ships that are 4x more profitable than diesel vessels.
We have $100M+ in sales to companies including the largest US shipping company and the largest global shipper by volume. We are on pace for our first commercial deployment in early 2026. The team previously started two shipping lines and has decades of experience in maritime innovation. Our patented battery & solar tech stack was spun out of MIT’s Ocean Engineering department. We are backed by top investors like the largest maritime VC in the world.