Mechanical Engineer

Symbrosia is a cleantech startup cultivating Asparagopsis taxiformis, red seaweed, as a livestock feed material. With high potency and wide-spectrum efficacy, Asparagopsis is a promising natural intervention for reducing enteric methane emissions from ruminants by over 90%. State of the art facilities at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai’i Authority (NELHA) are the innovation grounds for Symbrosia’s development of cultivation technologies to enable seaweed production at an impactful scale. We’re a small team so you’ll have tremendous impact regardless of your level of experience.

*This position is full-time in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i. Applicants must be able to work in the United States.

Responsibilities 

• Develop cost-effective, reliable, and manufacturable equipment and components to increase algae production success in collaboration with farm operators and algae biologists 
• Actively support the innovation stage-gate process: brainstorming and ideation sessions, concept development, concept screening, feasibility and commercialization
• Create CAD drawings and maintain engineering documentation (spec sheets, operating SOPs, MEP schematics)
• Research, purchase, and manage inventory of materials, supplies, and equipment for both prototyping and production engineering projects
• Develop reliable sensor suites for water quality management of indoor and outdoor systems
• Support algae farm operations with repairs of existing farm hardware, coordinating with contractors as needed
• Provide written and verbal reports of research activities, literature findings, and statistical data analysis 

A successful candidate will have: 

• B.S. Mechanical engineering or similar field 
• 3+ years of experience in product development
• Extensive familiarity with CAD software (SolidWorks, Inventor, SketchUp, etc)
• Experience with manufacturing tools and processes
• Experience with industrial automation hard and software as well as communication protocols and standards
• Focus on data-driven product design and development
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate needs and demands in an effective manner
• Motivation to work on the climate crisis! 

Bonus competencies

• Algae, plant or microbe related engineering experience 
• PCB design experience 
• Hydraulic engineering 
• Data analysis and programming experience (R, python, other) 

Why Symbrosia?

• Employer paid medical for employee and dependents 
• Paid time off 
• Paid holidays
• Co-worker camaraderie
• Retirement savings plan (401k)
• Short & long term disability coverage
• Leadership training
• Promotions

We’re an equal opportunity employer, and we’re committed to racial equity and social justice. Women, people of color, Hawaiians, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and members of other historically disenfranchised communities are strongly encouraged to apply.