Senior Mechanical Engineer

About Valo / Boundary Layer Technologies

Valo is a hardware technology startup located in Alameda, CA. We are a small agile team of engineers and builders that love technology and creating new things. Our vision is to create a revolution in water mobility by leveraging hydrofoil technology. We are backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Fifty Years VC, Lower Carbon Capital & Meta planet holdings.

Valo is revolutionizing all water transport using hydrofoil technology. Hydrofoils offer a massive 15x efficiency improvement over conventional gas boats, while also greatly improving ride comfort and noise. The benefits apply to recreational, commercial and military vessels.

We are starting in the fastest and most lucrative market segment by building a 2-person recreational product called the Valo Hyperfoil. From there we will sell our proprietary hydrofoil systems to boatbuilders and shipbuilders in both the recreational and commercial markets, a 100bn market size.

• $3.4m in preorders since launch in Nov last year
• Full sized prototype complete in just 6 months and undergoing flight testing
• World-leading team that have delivered electric foiling vehicles before

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will work to develop systems for Valo’s hydrofoil products. Examples include structural components like hydrofoil wing and strut mounting structures as well as electromechanical systems like flap actuation systems, rudder actuation systems, hydrofoil lift-tilt assemblies, etc. Candidates should have strong knowledge of the product development cycle from concept design through build, integration, testing and finally design for manufacturing.

Candidates should be highly self motivated, and excited about working in a dynamic, fast paced, startup environment. As part of a small team, you will be asked to tackle tasks in which you have deep previous expertise, as well as take on tasks that you may have limited familiarity with. It is important that the candidate be willing to embrace new challenges and is an effective independent learner.

Candidates with additional experience in electrical engineering will be highly valued as many of the mechanical systems are tightly coupled and interface with electrical components for control and feedback. You will work closely with various engineering disciplines and must have an understanding and appreciation for requirements management, verification and validation efforts, and general interaction and functionality of other subsystems and their integration into the vehicle as a whole. This role may evolve into a leadership role and progress to support future product development. This role is a full time on-site position located in Alameda, Ca.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent
• 5+ years of professional experience
• Solid knowledge of mechanical engineering principles: Statics, Mechanics, etc.
• Experience with a CAD package (NX or Solidworks are preferred)
• Experience with analyses packages (E.g., FEA)
• Hands-on build experience (E.g., familiarity with shop tools, machining, fabrication)
• Experience designing components with demanding structural, weight and space constraints
• Strong communication skills
• Independent worker with bias for action

Bonus Points:

• MS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
• Has been involved in a full product development cycle for a complex hardware product
• Production manufacturing experience
• Experience designing complex electromechanical systems including electric actuators
• Marine, Aerospace, or Electric Vehicle experience
• Electrical engineering knowledge (motors and actuators, power electronics, battery systems)
• Boating/sailing experience
• Hydrofoil experience

Working at Valo represents an opportunity to work as a core part of a small, fast moving team in a very exciting growing space. Valo offers competitive compensation, and benefits including:

• 90% of annual premiums covered for healthcare, dental, and vision insurance
• Relocation packages offered
• HSA plans available
• Paid parental leave
• Employee equity incentive plan
• Office amenities include snacks, drinks, and coffee and espresso bar
• Paid holidays, including company summer and winter breaks
• 401(k) plan

Equal Opportunity

Valo is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.