Proposal Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

The marine industry supports recreation, global commerce, and national defense. And yet it runs on technology that hasn't meaningfully changed in fifty years. Until now.
Arc is on a mission to electrify the marine industry. We're rethinking powertrains, software, and vessel designs from first principles. And we're already executing. We started with consumers to develop and harden our core technology. We're now scaling production of our flagship model with new models and sectors on the horizon. Now we're extending our platform to commercial applications, starting with tugs, ferries, and defense, with years worth of signed contracts and a pipeline that spans every vessel type on the water.

The technology is proven, the momentum is building, and the opportunity is enormous. The marine industry is going electric and Arc is building the platform that powers it

As Arc's Sales Application Engineer you will own the development of early stage technical architectures, costing, and proposals for new commercial projects.

We're looking for someone fired up by the mission and ready to build. You'll thrive here if you move fast, take ownership, and care about the details. Your ultimate goal is to understand our product and market so deeply, and build such powerful internal estimation and sizing tools, that you effectively automate yourself out of the day-to-day work, paving the way for your next stage of growth here.

This is a full-time, on-site role at our Los Angeles headquarters.

• Partnering with our business development group as the first technical touchpoint, developing concept solutions and architectures for new marine projects.
• Driving the development of internal sizing and estimation tools. You will collaborate with design engineers to build robust calculators for electrical loads, thermal limits, and pricing-with the explicit goal of streamlining our application engineering engine.
• Sizing and specifying complex marine electrical equipment, including 1000V DC busses, multi-MWh energy storage systems, switchgear, and electric propulsion motors.
• Generating high-level CAD layouts to validate space claims for major equipment (e.g., demonstrating switchgear cabinet lineups within a vessel's hull).
• Estimating costs and material take-offs (BOMs), taking full ownership of the final pricing roll-up and project margins.
• Collaborating closely and empathetically with core engineering, supply chain, and our technical writing team to translate your architectures into clear, compliant, and persuasive bid packages.
• Evaluating customer requirements, ship specifications, and general arrangements to develop optimized technical proposals that align with our mission.
• Presenting technical architectures to clients, shipyards, and naval architects, answering technical questions during the bidding phase with transparency and expertise.

• 2+ years of experience in the marine industry as an application engineer, proposal engineer, design engineer, or similar role.
• Strong understanding of marine electrical architectures, including diesel-electric systems, fully electric propulsion, and high-voltage DC power distribution.
• Functional knowledge of energy storage systems (ESS), switchgear, power electronics, and power management systems.
• Ability to read, interpret, and create electrical single-line diagrams, system block diagrams, and complex spreadsheets.
• Basic proficiency with CAD software (such as NX or SolidWorks) for conceptual layouts and footprint planning.
• Strong commercial mindset with the ability to confidently own pricing models and margin outcomes.
• Clear verbal communication and the ability to collaborate effectively in an inclusive, cross-functional environment.
• Strong time management skills with the ability to juggle multiple project deadlines simultaneously.
• Comfortable pushing at a fast but sustainable pace, respecting both the work and your own well-being.
• Comfortable spending occasional time on boats in the field or at shipyards for vessel walks and client meetings.
• We value engineers who take full ownership, apply first-principles thinking, prioritize technical problems effectively for the most business value, and actively contribute to a positive, inclusive team culture.
• Must be a US Person 
• This position may require access to information controlled under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Applicants must be a 'U.S. person' as defined by ITAR (22 CFR 120.62) - i.e., a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual (asylee or refugee).

• Firsthand experience working on commercial vessels (tugs, ferries) or defense vessels, particularly those with electric propulsion.
• Deep experience with high-voltage battery systems and their associated safety requirements.
• Familiarity with marine classification society rules and regulatory standards (e.g., ABS, DNV, USCG, IEEE 45).
• Experience conceptualizing or guiding the creation of computational tools (e.g., in Excel, Matlab, or Python) for system sizing.
• Familiarity with fluid/thermal cooling systems, sufficient to understand and utilize internal thermal sizing calculators for power electronics.
• Enthusiasm for boating and the water.

At Arc, we encourage diversity and consider all qualified applicants equally for employment, regardless of background, identity, or status. You're always welcome to reach out even if you don't meet many of these qualifications. Passion and aptitude make up for a lot.

The base salary for this role is $140,000* annually. 

* This salary range reflects a California-based position and may be adjusted based on the candidate's geographic location

Highly competitive equity grants are included with full time offers. As well as semi-annual bonuses tied to your impact, not just your tenure.
Additionally, Arc offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

• Healthcare benefits - 99% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision
• Parental leave - 14 weeks fully paid for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Generous time off - Highly competitive PTO with  an opportunity to earn more time with tenure
• Income protection - Life and disability insurance for all employees
• Retirement savings - Traditional and Roth 401(k) access
• Water fund - $500 for you to spend each year to get out on the water, however you choose
• Professional development - $500 annual reimbursement for professional development and a monthly AI stipend 
• Safety Support- Annual reimbursement for PPE, ergonomic equipment and anything that ensures we keep our crew safe
• Captain training - Training and access to take Arcboats out with friends and family
• Office perks - Daily  lunches, snacks, and good coffee while onsite
• Relocation assistance - Available depending on role eligibility.

We move with urgency and build with care. We value these five things above all else:

• Ownership over both your work and the company's success
• Empathy for colleagues and for customers
• Humility  in problem solving and collaboration
• Pragmatism for navigating ambiguity quickly and sensibly 
• Inclusion of different backgrounds, opinions, cultures, and perspectives.

We want people who share and embody these values. It is vital that our values align - we'd be happy to elaborate on any or all of these during the interview process.