Albacore

Mechanical Engineer at Albacore (Philadelphia, PA)

Albacore· Philadelphia, PA·

Role details

Work type
Onsite
Employment
Full-Time

Job description

Role Description:

  • Design and develop mechanical systems for underwater vehicles, contributing to structural layouts, pressure housings, propulsion integration, and subsystem packaging.
  • Work across the full development cycle from concept and analysis through fabrication, integration, and testing, applying a strong first-principles engineering mindset to solve complex design problems.
  • Collaborate closely with electrical, software, and systems engineers to integrate propulsion, sensing, power, and payload subsystems into robust electromechanical systems.
  • Design and fabricate custom hardware, fixtures, and test infrastructure to enable component validation, system integration, and field evaluation.
  • Support hands-on build, assembly, and debugging of prototypes, driving rapid iteration and continuous improvement in system performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

Required Qualifications:

  • B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
  • 1–7 years of experience designing and building mechanical or electromechanical systems.
  • Proficiency with CAD tools (SolidWorks preferred) and experience producing clear engineering documentation, including drawings and tolerance specifications.
  • Experience with structural design, material selection, sealing strategies, and environmental considerations such as pressure, vibration, and corrosion.
  • Hands-on experience with prototyping, fabrication, assembly, and mechanical troubleshooting.
  • Experience working in multidisciplinary engineering environments with electrical and software teams.
  • Strong first-principles engineering mindset and practical design approach.
  • U.S. work authorization and ability to obtain a security clearance.

Why work at Albacore

  • High-impact defense mission: Directly contribute to national security and maritime defense with a young, mission-driven team
  • Early-stage ownership: Join post-seed, pre-scale startup (25 employees) where engineers have outsized influence on product and architecture
  • Location: Based in Philadelphia, PA
  • Open roles: Mechanical Engineer, Software Engineer, Electrical Engineer (plus past openings for Powertrain Engineer, Forward Deployed Engineer, Head of Supply Chain, and internships)
  • Technical culture: Hands-on work spanning robotics, AI, propulsion, battery systems, manufacturing, and defense contracting — a broad, fast-paced engineering environment
  • Backing: Y Combinator-backed with meaningful seed funding to support growth

Application questions