Senior Structural Engineer

About the Company

We are 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 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. We operate as an idea meritocracy in which the best ideas change the company’s direction on a regular basis.

Our staff have worked at organizations such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Tesla, Apple, Virgin Orbit, Astra, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, New Relic, Bridgewater, Raytheon, Disney Imagineering, and the US Army and Air Force, as well as research universities, startups, and small companies across a range of industries.

About the Job

We are developing a core technology that will operate in the worst conditions the world’s oceans have to offer for years at a time without human maintenance or intervention. As Senior Structural Engineer, you will spearhead the structural analysis of numerous mechanical systems and help develop innovative methods and tools to select the best designs across a design space of millions of possibilities.

You will be a key part of the team responsible for the development of algorithms, pipelines, and other software to drive efficient structural analysis and cost estimation. You will also play a critical role in developing best practices and approaches for structural analysis as well as performing detailed stress and fatigue analysis of point designs. We expect you to be especially strong in structural analysis and coding, and to gravitate toward first-principles/fundamental-physics when solving problems. 

Our staff have worked at organizations such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Virgin Orbit, Virgin Galactic, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, New Relic, 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. 

Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills and be able to thrive in a creative, scrappy, and collaborative environment in which the best ideas change the company’s direction on a regular basis. You will own your designs cradle-to-grave, from first concept through fabrication and deployment at sea. If you are an excellent engineer, regardless of your background, we want you to apply.

We strive to be the best engineering team on the planet and we compensate our engineers accordingly. 

Responsibilities

• Develop algorithms/software that support the structural sizing of an entire design space in an automated way, allowing millions of end points to be accurately evaluated
• Work with Nastran input and output files for FEA analyses and scripts
• Generate and evaluate load spectra from test and simulation results
• Perform stress hand-calculations and fatigue/damage tolerance analyses for various designs
• Serve as the stress analyst for core technology subsystems, which could include device primary structure, pressure- and seawater-tolerant electronics packaging, drivetrains, deployment features, lab-based testing apparatuses, piping/cable routing and layout, and ground-support equipment
• Drive the structural design of various systems to ensure an efficient end-product that is sufficiently robust and supports an optimal manufacturing process
• Utilize Femap, NX-Simcenter, and internal FEA tools to perform linear, non-linear, and dynamic analyses of large assemblies
• Use a CAD software design package (NX) and PDM tool (Teamcenter) to facilitate design changes and stress evaluation
• Lead and participate in design reviews with the internal team and interface with external fabricators and vendors

Required Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent
• Wide-ranging experience and advanced knowledge of structural analyses techniques including classical hand analyses and computer analysis tools
• Proven experience evaluating numerous parts and assemblies that have undergone structural testing and seen service
• Working knowledge of FEA codes and pre- & post-processing (Nastran preferred)
• Solid coding abilities, with experience using Python, Julia, Mathematica, or another similar programming language for data review and analysis
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proven ability to work in a team environment
• Confidence working independently to drive a project forward
• A work history encompassing at least five design, build, test, and deploy cycles for different projects
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, self-starting, and demanding atmosphere

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, structural engineering, aerospace engineering, naval architecture, or a related field, or 5 years of additional experience in lieu of an advanced degree
• At least 5 years in a similar role
• Experience evaluating large, welded steel structures in dynamic environments
• Intimate familiarity with Nastran input decks
• Direct involvement in structural verification testing
• Excellent coding abilities
• Extensive experience with Femap
• Experience with NX/Teamcenter
• Hands-on hardware experience performing design, fabrication, assembly and testing
• Curiosity to learn and a passion for continuous improvement
• Solid understanding of technical projects from the details to the big picture
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and presentation skills

The above qualifications are desired, not required. We encourage you to apply if you are a strong candidate with only some of the desired skills and experience listed.

Additional Requirements

• Travel to vendors and test sites as needed
• Intermittently able to work longer hours and weekends to support critical needs. While we expect a lot of each other, we also offer a high degree of autonomy and work-life balance, including unlimited PTO and flexible working hours.

Compensation and Benefits

If hired for this full-time role, you will receive:

• Cash compensation of $150,000 - $250,000.
• Equity in the company. We’re all owners and if we’re successful, this equity should be far and away the most valuable component of your compensation.
• A benefits package that helps you take care of yourself and your family, including:
  • Flexible paid time off
  • Health insurance (the company pays 100% of gold-level PPO plan for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Dental insurance (the company pays 100% for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Vision insurance (the company pays 100% for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Disability insurance (the company pays 100% for a policy to provide long-term financial support if you become disabled)
  • Ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts, including 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA
• Relocation assistance to facilitate your move to Portland (if needed).

Location

Our offices, lab, and shop are located in Portland, Oregon. We strongly prefer that candidates are willing to relocate to Portland, but at a minimum the position requires the ability to travel to Portland intermittently.