What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Mechanical Engineer position at AdAstra?
Job Description
Job Description
About the Company
The open ocean is Earth’s largest and most power-dense renewable energy resource. Our client is harnessing that resource to generate the cheapest energy on the planet. Their mission is to provide abundant and affordable clean energy for everyone.
Founded in 2016 and based in the Pacific Northwest, this team comes from diverse backgrounds in aerospace, naval architecture, marine operations, hardware, software, and research.
This role is based in Portland, OR. More company details will be shared during an initial call.
About the Role
As they scale, our client is looking for an outstanding mechanical engineering leader to complement, enable, and enhance an already outstanding engineering team. You will be responsible for technical, people, and project leadership of core parts of the nodes throughout their lifecycle, from concept through production and deployments in the ocean.
Leadership there is not a status symbol; it is enormously hard work that can really only be done by someone who is simultaneously deeply technical, hyper organized, and extraordinarily passionate about empowering and developing others. They are also an organization where leaders are excited to pitch in to act as individual contributors if the need arises.
This staff have worked at organizations such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Tesla, Apple, Virgin Orbit, Virgin Galactic, 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. They are organized as a public benefit corporation and are backed by leading venture capital firms, private investors, philanthropic investors, and endowments.
Our client strives to be the best engineering team on the planet and they compensate their team members accordingly.
Responsibilities
Rapidly develop and deploy reliable mechanical systems for long-term, at-sea operation.
Lead a team of mechanical engineers in designing, developing, and owning critical structures and systems from concept to deployment.
Foster a high-energy, hardware-focused team culture with a sense of urgency to scale renewable ocean energy.
Hire, mentor, and support growth for team members, including individual contributors and leaders.
Create and maintain the right amount of structure to enable clarity, focus, and decision-making aligned with broader goals.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve system efficiency, manufacturability, and reliability while challenging assumptions.
Drive system trades, requirements capture, component selection, analysis, schematic capture, prototyping, documentation, manufacturing, and test.
Conduct and lead design reviews, interface with external vendors, and oversee detailed project documentation with strong GD&T knowledge.
Utilize advanced CAD (NX) and PDM (Teamcenter) tools for design and engineering drawings.
Work closely with technicians to prototype, test, fabricate, and develop operational and maintenance procedures.
Make well-reasoned, high-impact decisions under imperfect information and consistently meet schedule targets.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience
7 years of experience developing complex systems
3 years of experience managing engineering teams
Breadth of experience across various mechanical technical fields including static and dynamic mechanical system design, welded structures, rotating machinery, and fluids
Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) and ability to succinctly present recommendations to other engineers, stakeholders, management, and executive staff
Significant experience leading cross-functional teams and working with external customers and partners
Desired Qualifications
Passion for accelerating the transition to renewable energy
Experience in NX
Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)
Demonstrated understanding of structural analysis and failure modes of complex mechanical systems
Experience designing rotating machinery, turbines, bearings, turbomachinery, or fluid systems
Experience at a nimble engineering organization or in a highly technical position that required a scrappy, autonomously driven, entrepreneurial manner to accomplish tasks with tight time or budget constraints
Demonstrated ability to motivate others and steadfastly lead them through difficult or stressful situations
Experience moving back and forth between individual contributor roles and leadership roles
Comfort with broad scope definition and to-be-defined requirements
Experience creating, maintaining, and communicating scope, resource plans, and schedules
Attention to detail with strong record-keeping and organizational 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.
Compensation and Benefits
If hired for this full-time role, you will receive :
Cash compensation of $200,000 - $300,000
Equity in the company. They are all owners and if they are 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 33% for full time employees and 100% for 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
This is an on-site position. The offices, lab, and shop are located in Portland, Oregon.
About AdAstra
This position is a direct hire, permanent placement for a client of AdAstra.
AdAstra is building thriving teams within Hard-tech : Space, Climate, and Defense.
Our commitment is to curate and close premier talent for our partners, achieved via specialized technical screening, personalized culture assessment, and high-touch candidate engagement. We are motivated to foster boundless team satisfaction and catalyze innovation for future generations, enabling inconceivable technology from Earth, to the stars.
Connect with us on LinkedIn : https : / / www.linkedin.com / company / adastrata
Connect with us on Facebook : https : / / www.facebook.com / AdAstraTalent
Salary : $200,000 - $300,000
