Mechanical Engineer - Maritime

BOAB Ventures is seeking a Mechanical Engineer with maritime experience to design, build, test, and deploy unmanned maritime sensor systems as part of a cross-functional team. You will be the senior of two mechanical engineers on the team, mentoring junior engineers and technicians, and you'll spend time both in the lab and out on the water.

This role supports the national security industry, delivering hardware, software, and data solutions that span levels of classification and are intended for operational deployment. You'll join a rapidly growing team committed to rapid development of excellent products through continuous fielding.

The ideal candidate has strong maritime design experience, extensive hands-on prototyping and testing skills, and the ability to carry a design from concept through manufacturing handoff and at-sea testing.

Duties & Responsibilities:
Design and document mechanical systems using both analysis and engineering intuition, optimizing designs and ensuring compliance with requirements

Design operator-centric systems that survive and thrive in challenging maritime and submerged environments

Produce mechanical CAD artifacts including drawings, documentation, and revision control

Select appropriate manufacturing processes, generate documentation for technicians and suppliers, and optimize designs for those processes — high emphasis on distributed and/or low-tech manufacturing; precision machining is avoided

Design and optimize parts for additive manufacturing and determine appropriate testing regimens for additive parts

Build, test, and troubleshoot prototypes of your own designs — engineers are heavily involved in building the first few units of their work

Develop documentation, procedures, and artifacts to transition manufacturing processes to technicians

Plan, support, and participate in operational testing of prototypes, including bench testing, field testing, and going to sea during early prototype stages

Elicit and incorporate feedback from assembly and field technicians throughout the design cycle to improve performance, reliability, and cost effectiveness — all systems are assembled on-site

Mentor junior engineers and technicians

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Required Skills

Requirements:
Active clearance or ability to obtain a Secret or Top Secret/SCI security clearance (at no expense to you); failure to obtain or maintain a clearance will be grounds for termination

US Citizenship required

BS in Mechanical Engineering or Naval Architecture with 5+ years of relevant experience (or 10+ years of highly relevant experience including 5+ years in a design role)

Prior maritime design experience

Familiarity with standard mechanical engineering tools and processes; SolidWorks preferred but not required if you can cross over quickly

Extensive hands-on experience prototyping, testing, and refining designs in the lab, and preferably in field environments

Strong written and verbal communication skills for working in a high-performing development team

Ability to physically participate in at-sea deployment, test, and recovery operations, including lifting, carrying, and maneuvering on a small boat at sea, communicating verbally, and performing fine manipulations

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Desired Skills

Preferred Qualifications:
Prior experience with small boats and at-sea operations (strongly desired)

Prior experience with UxS (unmanned systems)

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Additional Details

What we offer:
Flexible time off

Full medical coverage

401(k) with company match

Referral bonuses

Performance bonuses

Life insurance and disability coverage

Tuition and training reimbursement

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About BOAB Ventures

BOAB Ventures is a premier recruiting firm specializing in connecting top-tier talent with major corporations. With a focus on cleared positions and corporate roles, we excel in identifying and placing highly skilled professionals in industries where precision, expertise, and discretion are paramount. Our commitment to excellence ensures that both employers and candidates find the perfect match to achieve their goals.