Mechanical Engineer

About us Ulysses is the ocean company. We design, manufacture, and operate autonomous vehicles for surface and subsea operations — taking on the most critical tasks across defense, commercial, and scientific missions. Our vertically integrated platform includes Mako, a modular AUV with 72-hour endurance and more onboard compute than any vehicle in its class; Leviathan, an autonomous surface vessel mothership; and Kraken, our automated launch-and-recovery system that closes the loop between surface and subsea with zero human intervention.

The ocean covers 71% of the Earth's surface and drives a $2.6 trillion global economy, yet it remains the least monitored domain on the planet. We're changing that — building autonomous systems that collapse the cost of ocean operations by orders of magnitude so that persistent coverage becomes the baseline, not the exception. We operate globally today across defense, ocean science, and commercial survey, working with partners including the U.S. Navy, the Government of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy.

Founded in 2023 and headquartered in San Francisco, Ulysses has raised $48 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Booz Allen Ventures, Harpoon Ventures, Pebblebed, Lowercarbon Capital, and others. Our team is lean, hands-on, and fast — we prototype in the shop, test on the water, and ship. If you want to work at the frontier, there's no frontier bigger than the ocean.

About this Role We're looking for a Mechanical Engineer to own the structural and mechanical design that makes our underwater robotic systems work. You'll design the hardware that operates above and below the surface—pressure housings, sealing systems, thruster assemblies, linkages, and everything in between—and you'll be responsible for making it robust enough to perform autonomously in one of the most unforgiving environments on the planet.

This is a hands-on role at the intersection of design and fabrication. You'll work directly with electrical, software, and acoustics engineers to develop new assemblies, integrate sensors and actuators into watertight enclosures, and build the mechanical infrastructure that our autonomy and navigation systems depend on. You'll see your designs go from CAD and prototyping to ocean deployment, and you'll be the person troubleshooting them at every stage.

Key Responsibilities UUV and USV Mechanical Design:

• Conceptualise, develop and integrate mechanical subsystems for autonomous surface & subsurface vehicles.

• Focus on robust and scalable design, efficient power/thermal management, system reliability, and rapid & reliable actuation in marine environments.

Prototyping and Integration:

• Expect to take projects from early conceptual design through to fully functional prototypes - owning your own prototypes from start to finish.

• Work closely with the electronics team to ensure seamless integration of custom electronics.

Hardware Testing and Validation

• Validate designs in the lab and in real-world ocean conditions.

• Identify and resolve mechanical or subsystem-level issues to ensure reliability and performance under dynamic marine environments.

• Bodging skills are a necessity, but always hopefully avoided.

About You

• You have hands-on experience working on ocean hardware—ideally something impressive you can show us.

• You hold a Bachelor’s degree (or are a talented dropout) in Mechanical Engineering a related field.

• You’re comfortable collaborating with electronics and firmware teams to ensure that mechanical designs interface smoothly with embedded hardware.

• You’re proficient in CAD/CAE tools (e.g., Onshape, NX, Solidworks) and version control.

• You have a solid understanding of sensor integration, actuator selection, and communication protocols, and you’re comfortable bridging mechanical and electrical domains at a systems level.

• You’re a strong problem solver who thrives on working independently in dynamic, fast-paced environments.

• You will be travelling with your prototypes and products to location for testing. As such, you will need to have the availability to travel outside and inside the USA.

• This includes locations such as Australia, the EU and East Coast USA.

Nice to Haves

• Experience scaling production from prototype to mass manufacture

• Exposure to high-power electromechanical setups, power pack design, or BMS integration

• You’ve taken USVs or UUVs from concept to production, overseeing prototyping, testing, and mechanical/electrical integration.

• Knowledge of CAM systems and experience with CNC machines

• Training and experience in welding

The job is on-site and in-person in San Francisco, CA.