Founding Mechanical Engineer | Ocean Robotics

About Aphotic
Aphotic is building the infrastructure backbone of the seafloor. We're developing a network of connected underwater systems that enable persistent ocean monitoring and autonomy at scale, with the long-term vision of deploying and servicing this infrastructure autonomously.
We're an early-stage, venture-backed startup headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Opportunity
We're looking for an exceptional Founding Mechanical Engineer to work directly with our founders and lead the mechanical design, development, and delivery of our underwater hardware.
You'll take ownership of bringing our systems from prototype to commercial deployment, making critical engineering decisions and helping build the technical foundation of the company.
What We're Looking For

• Proven experience designing, building, and delivering complex mechanical hardware.
• Strong background in CAD, prototyping, materials, and manufacturing.
• Experience with underwater systems, robotics, aerospace, or similarly demanding hardware environments.
• Someone who thrives in an early-stage environment, takes ownership, and wants to build ambitious technology from the ground up.

Location
We're based in Honolulu but are recruiting nationally and are open to establishing engineering operations around the right founding team.

Why Aphotic?
This is an opportunity to help build an entirely new category of ocean infrastructure, with significant technical ownership, meaningful equity, and a direct role in shaping the future of the company.