Chief Engineer - Maritime

Zeno Power•Seattle, WA

8d•$195,000 - $230,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Zeno is seeking a highly motivated Chief Engineer - Maritime to support the mission-oriented efforts of developing and bringing to market Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) technologies. As Chief Engineer, you will be responsible for leadership of technical and engineering aspects within your assigned scope of maritime system design and development, deployment lifecycle, and eventual production. This role supports the planning, scheduling, review, approval and top level management of technical tasks within our Maritime Portfolio to ensure accuracy, proper resources, and quality from start to finish.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering required, 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
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.

Nice To Haves

Nuclear maritime experience strongly preferred, 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 preferred
Experience collaborating with government customers, classification societies, defense organizations, shipyards, or regulatory agencies preferred
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

Responsibilities

Act as Design Authority for maritime scope area
Provide technical leadership on Zeno maritime projects
Define and interpret high level engineering requirements to support Product, Program, and/or Customer needs
Support technical project meetings for maritime initiatives by providing real-time technical guidance, operational support, and informed decision-making
Generate, review, and/or 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/or 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

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
On-site and off-site company events, lunch & learns, Zeno Empower, volunteer opportunities, monthly wellness challenges, company retreat, bracketology, holiday competitions, holiday parties, etc.
Dog friendly office