Director of Hardware Engineering

What we’re building

Our vision is to electrify all waterborne vessels, and we're starting with electric water sport boats.

Gas boats dominate today’s marine industry not because of great product offerings but because of a lack of better alternatives. Boaters have grown accustomed to vehicles that feel stuck in the 1980s: unreliable, expensive, loud, noxious, and a nightmare to own and operate. They’re also awful for the water and air they reside in.

By contrast, electric boats are superior in nearly every way: not only are they far more reliable and less costly to operate, but they’re also quieter, quicker, and cleaner, with no fumes or pollutants. However, they’ve been held back by both the technology and the talent to make them truly competitive with gas alternatives. That’s Arc’s opportunity.

Using modern, aerospace- and automotive-inspired techniques, we’re building our hulls, batteries, cooling systems, firmware, and software together to deliver the next generation of watercraft.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone that is excited by our vision, eager for a challenge, and willing to learn on the job. We pride ourselves on transparency and operate in a lean, high-trust environment that encourages everyone to take ownership over their domain.

You will be the leader of our R&D team and will work from our manufacturing facility in Los Angeles. Given that we’re a startup, you will be working in a fast-moving, dynamic environment that requires adaptability. That said, here are some responsibilities and qualifications we expect to stay relatively constant for this role.

Core responsibilities

• Building and maintaining a strong R&D function across multiple engineering disciplines
• Working with electrical, mechanical, and test engineering teams to ensure designs are performant, simplified, and meeting program objectives
• Streamlining processes to create an R&D powerhouse that can quickly turn around new products
• Setting the long term vision for Arc’s design engineering team and guiding difficult, impactful, decisions
• Motivating the team to execute under tight timelines while preventing burn out

Basic qualifications

• A strong understanding of both mechanical and electrical engineering fundamentals
• Good business sense and pragmatism to meet company objectives
• First principles thinking with the ability to motivate a dissenting opinion when needed
• Strong interpersonal and people management skills, including clear written and verbal communication
• Prior experience leading an engineering team

Bonus qualifications

• Proven track record of engineering success under tight timelines
• Experience driving a product from early R&D through to high rate production
• Comfortable pushing a fast but sustainable pace
• Enthusiasm for boating and clean energy

At Arc, we encourage diversity and consider all qualified applicants equally for employment, regardless of background, identity, or status. You’re always welcome to reach out even if you don’t meet many of these qualifications. Passion and aptitude make up for a lot.

What we value

We value these five things above all else:

• Ownership over both your work and the company’s success
• Empathy for colleagues and for customers
• Humility in problem solving and collaboration
• Pragmatism for navigating ambiguity quickly and sensibly
• Inclusion of different backgrounds, opinions, cultures, etc.

Given that we work in a sometimes intense or stressful environment, it’s vital that our values align. We’d be happy to elaborate on any or all of these during the interview process.

What you’ll get

• Talented teammates that challenge you to be better
• Access and often input to a wide range of business activities
• Salary between $180,000 - $200,000
• Semi-annual bonuses tied to impact
• A meaningful equity stake
• An opportunity to have an outsized impact on industry-defining vehicles
• The ability to drive positive environmental change through your work
• Nearly free health insurance (we cover 99%) and a 401k
• Generous parental leave
• Daily lunches, plenty of snacks, lots of swag, and more
• Boat rides!

Hope to hear from you soon!

The crew at Arc