Senior/Intermediate Mechanical Design Engineer

Vessev; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Parental leave 20 weeks

Competitive salaries

Waterfront offices

Team environment

Job summary

Vessev, a Kiwi startup creating hydrofoil electric vessels, is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer to own the design and performance of foils, control surfaces, and propulsion integration. You’ll prototype complex assemblies, run structural analyses, and validate designs against real load cases to ensure lightweight, manufacturable solutions.

You’ll collaborate with a tight-knit team across design and manufacturing, stay on the cutting edge of hydrofoil tech, and contribute to a product that

Qualifications

• A degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• 5-10 years' experience designing and developing complex mechanical systems.
• Strong track record taking products from concept through prototyping and into production.
• Experience making engineering decisions based on analysis and testing.
• Understanding of lightweight structures, mechanisms and manufacturable designs.
• Familiarity with aero/hydrodynamics and fluid-structure interactions.
• Excellent CAD skills and the ability to produce high-quality drawings and documentation.
• First-principles approach and collaborative mindset.

Responsibilities

• Design and prototype complex hydrofoil assemblies.
• Run structural analysis and FEA to validate loads.
• Use CAD to validate designs against load cases.
• Integrate foils and propulsion into vessel platform.
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams to ensure producibility.

Skills

Mechanical design

CAD

Aero/hydrodynamics

Prototyping

Python data analysis

Problem solving

Collaborative mindset

Hands-on hardware

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

FEA tools

Python

Job description

At Vessev, we're defining a new category of marine transport: hydrofoiling electric vessels that are genuinely better for people and the planet. Our boats fly above the surface using advanced hydrofoils, control systems, and electric propulsion - designed and built here in Aotearoa.

With strong momentum, global growth, and major milestones ahead, we're looking for a Mechanical Design Engineer to join our Hydrofoil Systems team, responsible for the design and performance of the foils, control surfaces, and propulsion integration that let our vessels fly above the water.

This is a rare opportunity to help build the technical capabilities of a category-defining, Kiwi startup from the earliest stage. There's so much scope to make this role your own, and we want you to create something you're insanely proud of.

What You'll Be Doing

The Hydrofoil Systems team plays a central role in enabling Vessev's hydrofoiling capability. Their work is what allows the vessel to operate efficiently on foils forming a critical part of the overall system that brings the boat together as a complete, high-performance product.

• Hydro-surface design and optimisation
• Mechanical systems that facilitate foil retraction and control surfaces
• Propulsion systems and their integration into the foil geometry
• The integration of the foils into the vessel platform

With everyone working out of the same facility, our design and build teams are tightly integrated so you'll see your work materialise, day by day.

Owning mechanical design and analysis

You'll be designing and prototyping complex assemblies, run structural and finite element analysis (FEA), and use CAD to validate designs against real load cases. Strength, weight and performance aren't trade-offs you balance after the fact, they're what good design looks like from the first sketch.

Completing the loop

A hydrofoiling boat is a complex interdependent system, pull one thread and everything else moves. When we get it right, this means that any improvements can get amplified through a design loop of cascading gains. You'll validate design decisions through onboard sensors and analysis to continuously improve the performance of the vessel.

Streamlining mechanical design

We move fast, and iteration moves faster. You'll always be on the cutting edge, on top of the latest industry trends, emerging technologies, and design innovations to stay ahead of the curve. That means always knowing the smart call: when an off-the-shelf part will do the job, and when only a custom solution will cut it. You'll stay ahead of the curve, so our foil system design never falls behind.

Showcasing Your Ingenuity

We're always open to new ways of doing things, better. We want someone who looks at a problem and asks "can I make something groundbreaking here?" You might come up with clever ways of improving existing solutions by reducing complexity or optimizing load paths that other engineers might miss. It's not just about buying a part and putting it on.

Managing designs through to production

You're the bridge between design and production, working hand-in-glove with our manufacturing team, both in-house and outsourced, so every design you hand over is feasible, efficient and cost-effective.

About You

We don't need you to be an expert on marine or electric vehicles, but you do need to be sharp, a fast learner, and relentlessly curious. Your background might be motorsport, aerospace, defense, energy, or somewhere else entirely. What matters is that wherever you've come from, you've been the engineer other engineers go to when something has to work.

We're looking for someone with

• A degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline
• 5-10 years' experience designing and developing complex mechanical systems
• A strong track record taking products from concept through prototyping and into production
• Experience making engineering decisions based on analysis and testing
• A clear understanding of mechanical design principles, including lightweight structures, mechanisms and manufacturable designs
• An understanding of aero/hydrodynamics and fluid-structure interactions
• Excellent CAD skills and the ability to produce high-quality engineering drawings and documentation
• Strong problem-solving skills, with a first-principles approach to engineering
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to work across multidisciplinary engineering teams
• A hands‑on approach, with enthusiasm for building, testing and refining hardware

Bonus Experience

• Experience with FEA (Finite Element Analysis), CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and other simulation tools
• Experience with electric propulsion systems and actuators
• Knowledge of composite materials and structural design
• Proficient in data analysis using Python
• General experience within the marine industry

About Us

We're here to set a better world in motion - cleaner air, better commutes, and deeper connections with nature and each other. Our hydrofoiling electric vessels use up to 90% less energy than traditional boats, unlocking entirely new opportunities.

We're backed by top-tier investors including Blackbird Ventures, and our team includes talent from the America's Cup, SpaceX, Rocketlab, Halter, Apple, and leading climate startups. But titles don't matter here – what matters is how we show up: with purpose, humility, and a restless optimism for what's possible.

We're office-first but not office-only. We believe in building together, in person, where the real magic happens. That said, we trust our team to do what's right and we know life isn't one-size-fits-all.

Why our people love Vessev

• The chance to work on technology that can drive real, lasting impact in the world
• A team of hugely talented and collaborative people
• 20 weeks fully paid parental leave for primary caregivers, and 4 weeks for secondary (conditions apply)
• Competitive salaries that reflect the value of the work
• Being on the water is part of our job - from trips on our vessels to our offices that border the Tamaki River
• And if the water's where you want to be, you'll be in good company. You'll find no shortage of boaters, beach goers, sailors, foilers, surfers, and kiteboarders here