Naval Architect

Company Description

Bulwark Dynamics is rebuilding America's maritime superiority by solving the DoD's most critical vulnerability in the Pacific: contested logistics. We build autonomous landing craft at an unprecedented pace—our first 15ft prototype went from sketch to successful ocean testing in just 43 days. Our work sits at the intersection of robotics, autonomy, and advanced manufacturing. We move fast, we build in the real world, and we only hire engineers who are deeply hands-on.

Role Description

This is a full-time, hybrid role in the Bay Area, CA for a Mid to Senior Level Naval Architect specializing in hull design, hydrodynamics, marine structures, and rapid vessel fabrication. This role begins ASAP and is structured around a critical, high-stakes build sprint running through November.

You will report directly to our CTO (former NASA Chief Engineer). You will have complete ownership over the vessel’s naval architecture—including clean-sheet hull hydrodynamics, structural design, stability, and weight management to bring our next 15-foot and 35-foot prototypes to life. This is for someone who thrives in early-stage, hardware-heavy environments and wants to see their vessel hit the water in weeks, not years.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $105,000 - $165,000 USD (Depending on experience)
• Equity: Early-stage stock options
• Perks: Healthcare, dental, vision, and the autonomy to build hardware without corporate red tape.

What You Will Do (Responsibilities)

• Clearance / Citizenship: Due to defense contract requirements and ITAR compliance, you must be a US Citizen or a US Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).
• End-to-End Ownership: Design, fabricate, and fully own the hull form, structural layout, and overall naval architecture for our 15-ft and 35-ft prototype vessels.
• Hydrodynamics & Stability: Perform resistance/powering calculations, intact/damage stability analysis, and seakeeping assessments for high-speed, autonomous operations in rough maritime environments.
• Rapid CAD-to-Reality: Use Rhino, Maxsurf, and/or SolidWorks for detailed manufacturing designs, structural engineering, and relentlessly iterate based on physical ocean testing.
• Fabrication Oversight: Oversee rapid prototype manufacturing, including FRP composite layups, and marine-grade metalwork (aluminum).
• Field Deployment / Sea Trials: Integrate mechanical/autonomous subsystems with cross-functional teams, troubleshoot on the fly, and operate as a core maritime crew member during rugged ocean deployments and sea trials.

Qualifications

• Core Experience: BS in Naval Architecture, Ocean Engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience, with 3+ years of experience designing high-performance marine vessels, USVs, or specialized watercraft.
• Design & Engineering: Uncompromising proficiency in naval architecture software (Rhino, Maxsurf, NAPA, etc.) and SolidWorks. Strong practical intuition for marine structural analysis, DFM, and weight control, especially for FRP structures.
• Fabrication Knowledge: Strong practical knowledge of rapid prototype assembly and structural systems. (R&D experience with FRP (Fiber-Reinforced Plastic) composites, marine aluminum fabrication, or high-speed craft is a massive plus).
• Execution: Proven ability to manage multiple rapid deadlines independently and own early-stage marine hardware from sketch to functional deployment.

Preferred:

• 3+ years work experience in ship/boat design.
• Direct experience designing high-speed planing hulls or autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs/USVs).
• Experience building early-stage marine hardware prototypes.
• Ownership of projects from clean-sheet start to finish.
• Deep knowledge of marine structural systems, with an emphasis on FRP (Fiber-Reinforced Plastic) composites and alloys.
• Operational Experience - working with deployed vessels, conducting sea trials, or maritime operations.
• Familiarity with maritime regulations (USCG, ABS) and applying them to novel/uncrewed vessels.

What We're Looking For

• End-to-End Execution & Velocity: You design elegantly with ruthless speed and take absolute ownership of your work from the initial hull lines to the final physical vessel hitting the water.
• Hardware Obsession: You have a deep, proven passion for marine engineering and working on complex, high-performance maritime systems.
• Concept-to-Reality Engineering: You excel at taking ambiguous, high-level ideas and translating them into robust, functional physical vessels using first-principles thinking.
• Mission-Driven Adaptability: You thrive in the high-velocity, high-stakes environment of an early-stage defense startup and are driven by the desire to build critical technology that matters.