We’re a young startup looking for a founder who’s good at mechanical engineering and wants to change the world. Write us at founders msk sojournlabs.com*

What is Sojourn Labs?

We’re a startup focused on changing the way we approach transportation in cities. We’re building a new type of vehicle that combines the benefits of cars and bicycles, offering a safe, comfy and phenomenally convenient ride that’s also good for you and the planet. You can check us out at our website, http://www.sojournlabs.com and on the Toronto Star to find out more: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/10/13/is_this_electric_carbike_the_answer_to_our_transit_woes.html

Why would I want to work at Sojourn Labs?

To give you a sense of what you’d be getting into, here are some of the perks of working with us:

We’re supported by an incredible network of people. That means you’ll have access to great mentors who are into, and good at, entrepreneurship in technology.
We’re doing seriously cool engineering work. Put your talents to use taking your ideas from drawing-on-a-napkin to finished product.
We’re a small company and there are myriad things that need doing, so you’ll have lots of chances to learn new things.
Our first product addresses climate change and urban congestion, so you can be sure that your work will have a large and positive impact on the world.

What would I be doing at Sojourn Labs?

Here are the kinds of things you might encounter in a typical day:

Simulations: FEA for structural design and fluids to assess aerodynamic performance.
Mechanical design: You’ll be the person in charge of mechanical design. That means lots of CAD work and fun opportunities for clever design.
Product Design: You’ll spend time thinking about product and feature specs. You’ll co-operate with the whole team to design and make something people will buy.
Building stuff: You’ll spend some of your time building the things you design and designing automation to improve manufacturing. This will transition into a training/coordination/planning role helping other people build your designs as we grow.
Breaking stuff: No design cycle is complete without testing. And since your designs are probably very strong, you’ll have to be devious about breaking them on a budget, so we can see how to make them better.
Sourcing: We need to get all sorts of stuff from all over the world, and it’ll be part of your job to go shopping.

Who are you looking for?

Here’s a quick description of some skills and tendencies that might mean you’re a good fit.

Design process: You play well with others. You respect other people, are a great listener (seriously, it’s not just a cliche) and have demonstrated experience collaborating with both technical and non-technical partners.
Intuition: You’re a natural builder. You’re good with your hands and tools of all sizes; you have a natural sense for when a mechanism will work.
Theory: You know your mechanics, dynamics, and fluids, and so when it comes time to say whether something will be strong enough, you (and your calculator) will be there to give a verdict.
Computers: You like computers, and they like you. Whether it’s CAD, FEA, simulations or Excel, you either already know it or you’ll pick it up fast.

What’s the catch?

We’re an early stage, minimally funded startup that exists due to the generous help of the University of Toronto Impact Center, friends and family. We’re looking for someone to join the team as a founder with a substantial equity stake; there is potentially a small salary available to cover living expenses, but the ideal founder would bring their own ‘runway.’

Okay, doesn’t sound terrible. What’s the next step?

We’d like to hear from you! Email us at:
founders@sojournlabs.com
Résumés are OK, but we’d rather see your past projects and hear about why you think we’d get along.