This chief engineer role leads the technical and engineering development of maritime systems, from design through deployment and production. It involves top-level management of technical tasks, ensuring accuracy, proper resource allocation, and quality. The role suits an innovative professional who wants to have a direct impact in enabling commercial and national security missions in frontier environments.
Responsibilities
Act as Design Authority for the maritime scope area
Provide technical leadership on Zeno maritime projects
Define and interpret high-level engineering requirements to support product, program, and customer needs
Support technical project meetings for maritime initiatives by providing real-time technical guidance, operational support, and informed decision-making
Generate, review, and approve technical work products for design applicability, adequacy, and accuracy
Co-chair the Change Control Board (CCB), review and approve all maritime-related design changes requiring CCB signoff
Review and approve maritime project requirements and verification activities to ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with design specifications and project objectives
Support planning, content development, execution, and close-out of maritime project design reviews
Develop, manage, and continuously improve Design Authority owned Quality Procedures and Work Instructions under an AS9100 Quality Program
Interface with suppliers, customers, and other external and internal stakeholders
Oversee, review, and approve sub-contractor technical work for relevant scope areas
Ensure Zeno maritime projects comply with applicable environmental, safety, health, radiation and contamination, and quality assurance requirements through ongoing assessment and implementation of relevant regulations, policies, and procedures
Prepare technical briefings for customers and leadership team, and technical papers for meetings and conferences
Be responsible for the design, development, and test of systems, life cycle support, technical goals and objectives, and requirement analysis of maritime projects
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably in Mechanical, Marine, Naval Architecture, Nuclear, Systems, Electrical, Aerospace, or a related engineering discipline
10+ years of engineering experience in complex technical product development, maritime systems, naval platforms, offshore systems, or related industrial environments
5+ years of direct maritime industry experience in vessel design, marine systems engineering, shipboard operations, offshore operations, or maritime platform integration
Experience leading or supporting design, integration, testing, commissioning, or operational deployment of maritime systems
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3+ years serving in a technical leadership, technical authority, chief engineer, engineering management, or key technical decision-maker role
Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary engineering teams through complex development programs, including requirements definition, design reviews, risk management, verification, validation, and operational readiness activities
Proven experience operating within regulated and quality-controlled environments, including compliance with ISO 9001, AS9100, NQA-1, NAVSEA, or similar
Experience developing, implementing, and continuously improving engineering processes, configuration management systems, product lifecycle processes, and technical governance frameworks
Strong understanding of systems engineering principles, including requirements management, interface control, hazard analysis, reliability, maintainability, and verification/validation methodologies
Experience with risk-informed technical decision-making, trade studies, root cause analysis, and failure investigation in high-consequence systems
Must be a U.S. person (U.S citizen or U.S. national; or any natural person who is a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident or a “protected individual” defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))
Nice to have:
Nuclear maritime experience, including experience with naval nuclear systems, marine nuclear power generation, radiological systems, or similar
Familiarity with manufacturing scale-up, supplier qualification, production transition, and design-for-manufacture considerations
Experience collaborating with government customers, classification societies, defense organizations, shipyards, or regulatory agencies
Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to executive leadership, customers, regulators, operators, and cross-functional teams
Strong project execution skills, including schedule management, technical planning, budgeting support, and coordination across engineering disciplines
Proven success operating in fast-paced development environments with a strong focus on innovation, operational considerations, safety, and regulatory compliance
Benefits
Stock options
Flexible paid time off
401k plan with employer match
16 weeks of paid family leave
11 observed company holidays
Employer HSA contributions
Life insurance
Transit benefits to put toward commuting expenses
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Relocation assistance
Professional development
Employee recognition program
Company-sponsored ClassPass benefit to support employee wellness
Dog friendly office
Important Details
Schedule: in-office presence in Seattle (South Lake Union) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; remote work is optional on Mondays and Fridays
Travel: less than 10%
Motor Abilities: Sitting and/or standing for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 15 pounds
Repetitive work: Prolonged
Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of more than 8 hours per day
About the Company
Zeno Power is the leading developer of nuclear batteries, providing reliable, clean energy in frontier environments by harnessing heat from radioisotopes. Zeno’s batteries power critical missions on Earth, in space, and at sea. The company aims to bring this technology to market by 2027.
At Zeno, we're harnessing the power of radioisotopes to provide clean, plug-and-play power anywhere in the universe..
