Senior Mechanical Engineer

Company Description

Bulwark Dynamics is rebuilding America's maritime superiority by solving the modern warfare’s critical vulnerability in the Pacific: contested logistics. We build autonomous landing craft at an unprecedented pace—our first 15ft prototype went from sketch to successful ocean testing in just 43 days and 35ft full-scale product to be in under 2 months. Our work sits at the intersection of robotics, autonomy, and advanced manufacturing. We move fast, we build in the real world, and we hire engineers who are deeply hands-on.

Role Description

This is a full-time, hybrid role in the Bay Area, CA for a Mid to Senior Level Mechanical Engineer specializing in vehicle assembly, load dynamics, fabrication, and actuation. This role begins as soon as possible and is structured around a critical, high-stakes build sprint.

You will report directly to our CTO and manage ~5 engineers. You will not be designing hull hydrodynamics; instead, you will have complete ownership over structural assemblies, actuation mechanisms, and the integration of electro-mechanical subsystems to bring our next 15-foot and 35 to 50-foot prototypes to life. This is for someone who thrives in early-stage, hardware-heavy environments (e.g., aerospace, race cars, autonomous vehicles).

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $130,000 - $180,000 USD (Depending on experience)
• Equity: Significant early-stage stock options
• Perks: Healthcare, dental, vision, and the autonomy to build hardware without corporate red tape.

What You Will Do (Responsibilities)

Design and fabricate structural components, mounting brackets, and mechanical assemblies for a 15-ft and 35-ft prototype vessel.

• Clearance / Citizenship: Due to defense contract requirements and ITAR compliance, you must be a US Citizen or a US Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).
• End-to-End Ownership: Design, fabricate, and fully own structural components, mechanical assemblies, and vehicle dynamics/actuation subsystems for our vessels.
• Rapid CAD-to-Reality: Use SolidWorks for detailed manufacturing designs, source materials, conduct fit checks, and iterate relentlessly based on structural testing.
• Hands-on Fabrication: Perform machining, metalwork, composites, and rapid prototyping. 
• Field Deployment: Integrate subsystems with cross-functional teams, troubleshoot on the fly, and operate as a core maritime crew member during rugged ocean deployments.

Qualifications

• Core Experience: BS in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent hands-on equivalent) with 6 years of experience in vehicle dynamics, robotics, UAVs, or high-performance mechanical systems.
• Design & Engineering: High proficiency in SolidWorks. Strong practical intuition for GD&T, DFM, and structural analysis.
• Fabrication Mastery: Extensive hands-on experience with machining and prototype assembly. (R&D experience with composites, hydraulic actuators, or marine/off-road structures is a massive plus).
• Execution: Proven ability to manage multiple rapid deadlines independently and own early-stage hardware from sketch to functional deployment.

Preferred:

• 8 years work experience
• R&D experience with vehicles
• Experience building early-stage hardware prototypes
• Ownership of projects from start to finish
• Hydraulic actuator experience
• Experience with vessel operation
• Composite design and fabrication knowledge
• Operational Experience - working with deployed vehicles
• Knowledge of marine or off-road vehicle structural systems 
• Familiarity with GD&T, DFM, and structural analysis

What We're Looking For

• Relentlessly Hands-On: You do not just manage builds; you are actively on the shop floor cutting, drilling, welding, performing composite layups, and assembling hardware.
• End-to-End Execution & Velocity: You design elegantly, build with ruthless speed, and take absolute ownership of your work from the initial CAD model to the final physical product.
• Hardware Obsession: You have a deep, proven passion for engineering and working on complex vehicular systems.
• Concept-to-Reality Engineering: You excel at taking ambiguous, high-level ideas and translating them into robust, functional physical assemblies using first-principles thinking.
• Mission-Driven Adaptability: You thrive in the high-velocity, high-stakes environment of an early-stage defense startup and are driven by the desire to build critical technology that matters.