Principal Mechanical Engineer

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms.

Position Overview

Saronic is seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer to provide senior technical leadership across the mechanical engineering organization. This role reports to the Director of Mechanical Engineering and will work across four core areas:

Perception Hardware, Marine Engineering, Mechanical Integration, and Structures.

This engineer will be accountable for helping teams solve high-priority mechanical engineering problems, make sound technical decisions, and deliver reliable hardware for autonomous surface vessels operating in harsh maritime environments. The ideal candidate has broad mechanical depth, strong first-principles judgment, and the ability to move quickly between design, analysis, integration, test, and production support.

Responsibilities

• Lead resolution of complex mechanical engineering issues across perception hardware, marine systems, vehicle integration, and structures.
• Provide technical direction during design reviews, program reviews, trade studies, root-cause investigations, and build/test activities.
• Drive sound engineering decisions across mechanical architecture, subsystem packaging, structural design, marine auxiliary systems, and sensor integration.
• Review and improve designs, analyses, drawings, test plans, and validation strategies to ensure technical rigor and execution quality.
• Partner with mechanical, electrical, perception, manufacturing, and program teams to deliver hardware that is manufacturable, serviceable, reliable, and production ready.
• Mentor engineers and raise the standard for mechanical design practices, analysis methods, documentation, and cross-functional execution.

Qualifications

• Required
• Bachelor’s degree or greater in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Marine Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of mechanical engineering experience in complex hardware development.
• Strong fundamentals in mechanical design, structural analysis, materials, tolerance analysis, manufacturability, and system integration.
• Experience supporting hardware through concept, design, analysis, prototype build, test, and production.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or similar.
• Experience with hand calculations, FEA, design reviews, engineering drawings, and root-cause analysis.
• Ability to communicate clearly, make decisions with incomplete information, and lead technical execution across multiple teams.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Preferred
• Experience with autonomous systems, maritime systems, robotics, aerospace, defense, or other harsh-environment hardware platforms.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: perception hardware, optomechanical systems, marine auxiliary systems, mechanical integration, electronics packaging, or structures.
• Familiarity with shock, vibration, corrosion, environmental sealing, thermal management, fatigue, and serviceability considerations.
• Experience with ASME Y14.5, GD&T, Femap, ANSYS, CFD, thermal tools, or production release processes.
• Prior experience on DoD programs or unmanned maritime systems.
• Professional Engineer license or similar professional certification.
• Physical Demands
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Occasional standing and walking within the office.
• Manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment.
• Visual acuity to read screens, documents, and reports.
• Occasional reaching, bending, or stooping to access file drawers, cabinets, or office supplies.
• Lifting and carrying items up to 20 pounds occasionally (e.g., office supplies, packages).