The Role:
Vessev is creating a new era of how we move on water, and we need a senior composite engineer to join our Vessel Design team. The role will be fast-paced and demanding and exceptionally rewarding for the right person.
The Vessel team are the ones who turn our engineering fantasies into reality - crafting dreams into hulls, so to speak. With everyone working out of the same facility, our boat production teams are tightly integrated. Rather than having the design and build team detached from each other, you can literally see your work materialise, day by day.
As for you, your experience might come from being a naval architect, structural analyst or an aerospace or mechanical engineering background, but you’ll have honed your skills to become an expert in composite structural design. We don’t need you to be an expert on marine, hydrofoiling, or electric vehicles, but you do need to be intelligent, willing to muck-in, and curious - this will have a much more significant impact on how you come up to speed on the technical details
Internally you will work within the vessel design team, working side by side with Naval Architects and industrial designers to design, engineer and deliver some of the most efficient hydrofoiling vessels in the world. The vessel design team also works closely with the other engineering teams (Electrical, Foil Systems, Vessev Controls) to ensure the specifications and packaging of the full vessel meets our high performing specifications in a practical solution for the commercial marine market.
We have the best talent on site - these are people who have built America’s Cup boats and have extraordinary engineering experience - so the potential is there for you to harness. This is a role that will have plenty of scope to have a lasting impact, not only at Vessev but the wider marine industry.
We are making an iconic New Zealand company - something that is cherished by everyone who interacts with us. Our dream is for you to create something that you are insanely proud of.
What your day could look like:
Owning Composite Design and Analysis
Our vessels range from 9 - 20m and require integrated structural analysis within the vessel design to produce an efficient structure. The composite design is not an afterthought, rather a critical component in the vessel design from the early vessel concept, through the development to build on our in-house production lines . Your comfortability with composite structural analysis, finite element analysis (FEA) and CAD, will help validate and optimize composite designs against load cases and safety factors, and optimising for strength, weight, and performance including the unique criteria for foiling vessels.
Coordinate Multi-disciplinary Solutions
With our multi-discipline design and build teams under the same roof, you’ll need to work with the wider team to make sure the composite solutions combine with the hardware and fitout to make the best product we can. This includes a close working relationship with the build team to ensure solutions are designed for manufacture from the outset. This can extend into tooling design and the specification of materials and processes.
Streamline Composite Design Elements
Being early on in our commercial production journey, progress is fast but iteration moves faster. Our composite solutions require a thoughtful approach to both the fabrication and assembly of the vessels, while maintaining flexibility on the best place to attach that last minute electronics or sensors.
Continuously Improve our Processes
While there is plenty of experience and talent, Vessev is always open to new ways of doing things, better. You might generate scripts so our tools, such as FEA and CAD, are more efficient. Alternatively, you could identify new composite technologies or processes to help unlock Vessev’s drive for high performance. The lever for impact here is large.
While this list encompasses a broad range of responsibilities, it reflects the significant opportunities within Vessev's Vessel Design team. As we continue to expand, you'll have the chance to specialise across these areas, contributing to personal growth and the company's success. The dynamic nature of this role offers a unique opportunity to shape and evolve with a rapidly growing company.
Requirements:
You do not need to hit every requirement to apply.
Qualifications and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture or a technical engineering discipline (e.g. aerospace, mechanical, industrial, chemical)
8+ years experience with composite structural analysis, laminate specification and detailing
Comfortable with first principle calculations
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) (Altair Hyperworks preferred)
Familiar working in CAD 2D and 3D (Rhino 3D and Onshape/Solidworks preferred)
Bonus Experience
Experience in the marine industry
High degree of ownership and ability to thrive in a demanding and dynamic startup atmosphere
Experience working in a fast-paced tech startup environment
Direct interaction with build teams and material processing
Material testing experience
If you have read up to this point, think Vessev is the right fit for you, but you don’t think this role is right for you, consider getting in touch with us.
Our Company:
Our purpose at Vessev is to propel a more liveable world - one with better commutes, fewer cars on the roads, additional routes to affordable housing, better connections with nature, clean air, and clean water. We're doing that by designing and manufacturing electric hydrofoiling vessels - the most performant electric vessels ever. Through extraordinary increases in efficiency and comfort - they unlock entirely new sustainable opportunities on our under-utilised waterways.
We value trust, honesty, and a certain can-do spirit that only comes from the desire to blow expectations out of the water. Above all else - we care about doing our best work. Our team have built America's Cup-winning racing yachts, delivered orbital rockets into space, created iconic international technology products, earned multiple PhDs, and helped build existing internationally renowned companies. We are backed by some of the best including Blackbird Ventures, Icehouse Ventures, and K1W1.
There are 33 million vessels in the world today, and nearly all of them are fossil fuel-powered. Demand for practical, sustainable solutions is growing exponentially in every sector, and marine is no exception. What we are creating at Vessev is the most performant way to move on the water and will have a large role to play in this once-in-a-generation transition.
We're not just making electric boats. We are making better boats that can make a genuine impact.
Together, we can propel a more liveable world.
Office First but not Office Only:
Important events are nearly always held in person. That sense of connection and spontaneity cannot be replaced, and the work that we do is no exception. We believe in an office-first culture for the highly collaborative and world-class nature of what we do. “Flying boats to help save the world” will need more than Zoom calls to take flight.
Being in the office lets us build real relationships—not just through meetings but through the everyday interactions that create trust and a sense of teamwork. These connections allow us to disagree, give feedback and do meaningful and aligned work. Some of the best ideas come from quick conversations or impromptu brainstorming sessions. Being in the same space makes it easier to share thoughts and solve problems together. Working side by side helps us make decisions quickly, stay aligned, and keep pushing the ball forward.
With that being said, we are office first, but not office only. We place a huge amount of trust in our team to do what is best for Vessev. Ultimately, we are a sum that is greater than its parts and being together is what helps us reach extraordinary outcomes.
Why our people love Vessev:
We are developing a foundational technology for the future of marine sustainability. There are fewer than 100 electric hydrofoiling vessels on the water today. We are at the earliest innings of this great transition and joining Vessev is a chance to make some waves (metaphorically speaking).
Genuine impact - the technology we are creating isn’t just green. It uses up to 90% less energy than conventional vessels and has used economic benefits to propel its adoption.
“First flights” are massive memorable events that we all share in and coming up we will have some huge events associated with our larger vessels.
A hugely talented and collaborative team to work with.
Our products are quite public - we're not just creating an iconic New Zealand company, we will be creating an iconic company on the global stage.
We offer 20 weeks fully paid parental leave for primary caregivers and 4 weeks fully paid secondary caregiver leave (conditions apply).
We offer attractive remuneration packages made up of salary, and generous employee stock ownership plans (role dependent)
Usage of our 1500sqm facility and tools for personal projects (conditions apply)
Being on the water is part of our job - our facility even borders the Tamaki River with outdoor seating available for daily use.
If the water is where you want to be, you will find no shortage of boaters, beach goers, sailors, foilers, surfers, and kiteboarders in our community.
Join our Team:
Vessev is committed to creating the best possible work experiences that we can - a place where everyone can do their best work. Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and under-represented groups of candidates tend to only apply when they meet every requirement. If you think you have what it takes but don’t necessarily tick every requirement on this job description, please still get in touch and apply to Vessev.
We’d love to chat to see if you’ll be an epic fit!
