Mechanical Engineer

Spear AI is seeking an experienced Mechanical Engineer with maritime experience.  You will be part of a cross functional team designing, building, testing, and deploying unmanned maritime sensor systems.  The initial focus is on acoustics but will quickly expand to other modalities as well as to mobile systems.

Spear AI serves the national security industry and provides hardware, software, and data solutions that span levels of classification and are intended for operational deployment.  Spear AI is a rapidly growing company with a commitment to rapid development of excellent products through continuous fielding.  You will be in the lab and out on the water frequently.

• You will initially be the primary mechanical engineer in Spear AI, although we anticipate that the team will grow over time.  As such you will need to have at least some level of skill in each of the following areas.
• Structural and Functional Design – Design and document mechanical systems applying both analysis and intuition as appropriate.  Optimize for various factors and ensure compliance with requirements.
• Design for operational maritime use including submerged systems – Design systems with an operator centric viewpoint that will survive and thrive in challenging maritime and submerged environments.
• Produce Mechanical CAD artifacts including drawings, documentation, and revision control –
• Select Manufacturing processes – Determine appropriate manufacturing processes, generate appropriate documentation for technicians or suppliers, optimize designs for the use of selected processes.
• Additive Manufacturing – Spear relies heavily on additive manufacturing.  Design parts for additive manufacturing, understand how to optimize additive manufacturing, determine appropriate testing regimens for additive parts.
• Carry out Fabrication – Under many circumstances build initial prototype parts using various processes and serve as a surge capability for technicians.
• Prototyping and Troubleshooting – Build, test, and troubleshoot prototypes of designs.  As needed provide support for building of low rate production as surge capacity for technicians.
• Handoff to manufacturing—Develop documentation, procedures, and artifacts to transition manufacturing processes to technicians.
• Operational Testing – Support and participate in operational testing of prototypes including bench testing and field testing to include going to sea.
• Incorporate feedback – Elicit and incorporate feedback from assembly and field technicians throughout the design cycle to improve performance, reliability, and cost effectiveness.  Spear currently assembles all systems on-site, providing excellent opportunities to see processes in action.

• A BS in Mechanical Engineering or Naval Architecture and a Minimum 5+ years of relevant experience (or a minimum of 10 years of highly relevant experience with a minimum of five years of experience working in a design role.)
• Prior maritime design experience
• Familiarity with standard mechanical engineering tools and processes.  Solidworks preferred but not required provided you can cross over to Solidworks quickly.
• Extensive hands-on experience in prototyping, testing, and refinement of designs in the lab and preferably in a field environment.
• Suitable 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 ability to lift, carry, and maneuver on a small boat at sea, communicate verbally, and carry out fine manipulations.
• You must be willing to receive a Secret or Top Secret/SCI security clearance. This will be at no expense to you. For resources on what goes into a security background involves and what disqualifies people reference the CIA requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain a clearance will be grounds for termination.

• Prior experience with small boats and at sea operations is strongly desired.
• Prior experience with aerial drones is desired by not required and less important than maritime systems.

We hope you'll join our fast growing team!