Summary

Position: Associate Mechanical Engineer

Location: Oakland, CA

How to Apply: Submit CV, cover letter, and portfolio to joincalwave@gmail.com with the subject line: Associate Mechanical Engineer

 

Position Details

CalWave’s mission is to provide reliable, cost-effective ocean wave technologies for sustainable energy access. Our team members are active learners who enjoy working on tough technology problems in massive markets and embody our values of humanity, excellence, and creativity. The company is backed by several development contracts with the U.S. Department of Energy and committed investors.

CalWave is seeking a dynamic and innovative Associate Mechanical Engineer to further advance CalWave’s proprietary and high-performance wave energy converter technology to multi-unit commercial-scale deployments. The selected individual will work closely with CalWave engineers and world-class industry and R&D partners (including UC Berkeley, Sandia National Labs, NREL, and others) to support the mechanical design of CalWave’s Wave Energy Converter, manufacturing and testing of our drive train test bench, and support activities leading towards manufacturing, build-out, and pre-deployment testing of our upcoming open water demonstration prototype.

The preferred candidate should possess strong analytical and technical skills, with a demonstrable ability to understand complex systems. The ideal candidate should have industry and/or project expertise in mechanical engineering and demonstrate superior skills in CAD designing, product development, fabrication and machining, and assembly and commissioning of complex mechanical systems. Experience with design for marine applications, hydraulic systems, sensors and data acquisition, fabrication/machining, and FEA is a plus.

Responsibilities:

• Conceptual design, high level architecture evaluation, specifications definition
• Component selection, detailed CAD design, FEA analysis
• Preparation of detailed engineering documents and participation in quality reviews
• Life cycle analysis of mechanical components and structures for marine applications
• Generation of manufacturing drawings for custom components
• Outreach and negotiation with component suppliers for quoting and procurement
• Mechanical system assembly, experimental testing, and troubleshooting

Qualifications:

• BS in mechanical engineering or related engineering discipline
• 0 – 3+ years of experience. Spring 2024 expected graduates are welcome to apply.
• Proficiency in CAD software, Solidworks preferred
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Passionate team worker with self-starter and entrepreneurial spirit
• Currently residing in or willingness to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area

Location & Benefits:

Oakland, CA (Currently WFH). Full-time. Competitive salary and equity options depending on experience. Health care and retirement plan contributions included. Dynamic and impactful work environment.

Company Background:

CalWave’s vision is to unlock the power of ocean waves to secure a clean energy future. Our mission is to provide reliable, cost-effective ocean wave technologies for sustainable energy access. Our proprietary wave energy converter technology achieves high performance while surviving storms and extreme conditions by operating fully submerged at all times.

CalWave’s Major Milestones:

• In 2016, CalWave spun out from UC Berkeley (Mechanical Engineering and CITRIS Foundry), graduated from Cyclotron Road and was a winner of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) US Wave Energy Prize. And won a multi-million dollar DoE contract in 2017 for an open ocean trial.
• In 2019, CalWave received two additional multi-million dollar awards by DOE to 1) build a commercial scale drive train in parallel to our open water demo and 2) design the next generation of our submerged pressure differential WEC and investments from Breakout Labs, High Tide Foundation, 1517 Fund and others.
• In 2022, followed by the successful long-term field trial of our San Diego open ocean pilot, CalWave received a $7.5M award from the US DOE with the goal to install and operate a grid connected system at PacWave, a new 20 MW rated wave demonstration site in Oregon.
• More details via US DOE press release: CalWave Launches California’s First Long-Term Wave Energy Project – YouTube

Wave power has the technically achievable potential to power 20-30% of US and EU electricity needs. According to the US DOE, the Wave Energy Technical Resource Total US is 898-1229 TWh/year (22-30% of demand).

Environmental impact and sustainability are a critical concern of CalWave. The 2020 State of the Science report summarizes and places in context information about the environmental effects of marine energy systems, to the extent that the information is currently available.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

CalWave Power Technologies Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

At CalWave, we are working toward a 100% renewable energy future for everyone in the world. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees and are seeking to build a team that reflects the diversity of the people we hope to serve with our revolutionary products. CalWave is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.