About us

Aquila is a fast-growing startup developing dynamic, wireless optical energy networking to power sectors underserved by traditional grid infrastructure—think electric aircraft charged in-flight that never have to land… or industrial sites bustling with cool robotics and powered by wireless energy networks—the possibilities are endless! We're backed by some of the best investors in the world, such as Blackbird, Possible and Icehouse, and we're working with fantastic partners to develop novel and exciting capabilities.

We believe in the power of teamwork and collaboration. We are a dynamic and supportive team of Eagles sharing a passion for pushing the boundaries of what is possible. We're looking for exceptional people driven to power the future by solving first-class problems with world-class engineering. Everyone owns their work end-to-end.

At Aquila, we believe in shaping the role around the candidate and the team. As such, if there's a domain you do not fit into, please do not hesitate to apply anyway!

The role

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Aquila, you will own the design and development of mechanical systems that facilitate dynamic, long-range and wireless power transfer. This means designing, implementing, iterating and testing hardware systems to perform as required for operating a new energy form factor.

You will be responsible for integrating the hardware layers for our Lightway energy networking system to safely and effectively deliver energy to power Lightway Sentry — the world’s first optical power-beaming product. Lightway Sentry is a drone that can fly forever to establish aerial awareness and save lives in homeland security, emergency response, and defence.

Who we're looking for

Aquila seeks a highly skilled engineer in any relevant field with experience building world-class mechanical hardware to join our team. Successful candidates will:

• Design, prototype, and build complex actuated mechanical systems

• Conduct rapid hands-on development, delivering robust mechanical products through to production.

• Develop and execute component and subsystem design validation plans and test methods to validate product adherence with certification requirements.

• Perform structural, modal and dynamic analysis and interpretation of critical mechanical systems to drive design decisions.

• Execute development processes for the initial delivery and subsequent iteration of complex mechanical systems, including complete lifecycle testing, monitoring, and operation.

• Ensure Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) are woven into product development.

• Collaborate with external suppliers to optimise designs and streamline manufacturing processes.

• Maintain high levels of communication with the broader hardware team regarding product requirements, integration, timelines, risks, and priorities.

• Use first principles analysis as a basis for every decision.

• Roll up your sleeves and help with whatever is required in a dynamic startup environment.

We love candidates with the following aptitudes. Still, you don't need to meet them all — if you have a strong work ethic and a voracious hunger to solve first-class problems through developing world-class technology, we want you on our team.

• Evidence of exceptional skill in mechanical engineering, particularly in designing and integrating actuated mechanical systems such as gimbals

• Experience in motor and actuator selection, transmission design, and prototype fabrication.

• Have proven experience designing robust mechanical components and assemblies for small-scale to mid-scale production, with expertise in electromechanical assemblies.

• Strong fundamental understanding of thermal analysis, structural analysis, and fluid dynamics, as well as relevant skills in CAE.

• Basic firmware/software experience

• Experience designing and testing products for use in rugged environments.

• Excellent proficiency in Solidworks/Onshape and Ansys.

• Experience working within the defence, maritime and/or aerospace sectors

• Experience leading projects from initial development through manufacturing and sustainment.

• Experience working with vendors and managing the procurement process.

Above all else, we hire candidates who deeply connect with

• Our Values

And are aligned with

• What we look for at Aquila

Aquila Perks & Benefits

• Everyone is an owner. In addition to excellent base compensation, every 'eagle' owns equity in the company, so we all benefit from our hard work and future success. Everyone is given a unique and epic eagle avatar upon signing the contract to join Aquila.

• Generous paid parental leave. We offer eight weeks of paid caregiver leave and an additional eight weeks of paid leave for the birthgiver.

• Relocation budget & support. Support for interstate or overseas team members and their families (including pets!)

• Flexible working hours and location. While we often enjoy shooting lasers around—with the utmost safety—in our fully decked-out laser facilities, if there are days when we can work from anywhere, then we feel free to work from anywhere!

• Generous Personal Leave. At Aquila, we recognise that sometimes you need time off to recuperate, look after your mental health, or deal with an emergency. We provide unlimited (within reason) personal leave to empower you to bring your best self to work every day, and you are always paid for days taken off as personal leave.

• We care about our people: At Aquila, we don't focus on what our people can do for us; we focus on what we can do for our people. As part of our commitment to our people, we provide an annual $2k budget for side projects, gizmos and gadgets you want to develop, skills you want to learn, and ways you want to grow outside work.

• Company-wide social events: monthly birthday celebrations, offsite hiking and/or skiing through beautiful Australian and Aotearoa landscapes, annual end-of-year celebrations, and much more!

• Great, decked-out office! An inclusive community and culture in a welcoming office—with lasers and cutting-edge hardware

• A variety of social clubs. We encourage all our Eagles to build the culture with us and share what they love by creating social clubs across the business. From rock climbing clubs to skiing and volunteering, we constantly seek ways to learn and engage with each other.

We want to hear from you if you're a world-class mechanical engineer hungry to make a massive impact! Join our team and help us build an infinitely scalable energy network that powers a more abundant, limitless, and sustainable future.