Systems Engineer - USV

Darwin Recruitment; Den Haag; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Darwin Recruitment is seeking a Systems Engineer to join a vessel governance team in the maritime technology sector. You will support operations across subsea inspection, seafloor mapping, and environmental monitoring, focusing on reliability, interoperability, and safety of autonomy software for Uncrewed Surface Vessels.

The role emphasizes designing future integrations for vessel automation and enabling seamless remote operations across a fleet of USVs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Experience developing data and processing models.
• Familiarity with architectural patterns such as functional layers, microservices, and event-driven architecture.
• Experience with real-time communications and protocols (MQTT, DDS, ModBus, CAN, OPC-UA).
• Understanding of SCADA systems, PLCs, IIoT, and distributed control systems.
• Strong communication and coordination skills.
• Proactive, ownership-driven mindset with solid decision-making capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Design future integrations for vessel automation and enable seamless operation from a unified remote operations centre.
• Ensure reliability, interoperability, and safety of vessel control and autonomy software across a fleet of USVs.
• Collaborate across subsea inspection, seafloor mapping, and environmental monitoring projects.

Skills

Real-time protocols (MQTT, DDS, ModBus

Microservices & event-driven

Data processing models

System integration design

Communication & coordination

Ownership mindset

Maritime/autonomous systems knowledge

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Engineering/CS or related field

Tools

Docker

Cloud testing environments

Job description

Location: Den Hag, Netherlands
Salary: Competitive
Industry: Maritime / Autonomous Systems

Overview of the role:

We are working with a leading organisation in the maritime technology sector. They are looking to hire a Systems Engineer to join their vessel governance team, supporting operations across sectors including subsea inspection, seafloor mapping, and environmental monitoring. This is a full-time, permanent position focused on ensuring the reliability, interoperability, and safety of vessel control and autonomy software across a fleet of Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs). The successful candidate will play a key role in designing future integrations for vessel automation and enabling seamless operation from a unified remote operations centre.

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• Experience developing data and processing models
• Familiarity with architectural patterns such as functional layers, microservices, and event-driven architecture
• Experience with real-time communications and protocols (MQTT, DDS, ModBus, CAN, OPC-UA)
• Understanding of SCADA systems, PLCs, IIoT, and distributed control systems
• Strong communication and coordination skills
• Proactive, ownership-driven mindset with solid decision-making capabilities

Required / Highly Preferred:

• Experience designing system integrations aligned to engineering and certification standards
• Ability to define data exchange structures and protocols based on industry standards
• Experience developing verification schemas and communication flow documentation
• Structured documentation skills to support engineering and classification processes

Beneficial:

• Experience with maritime or autonomous systems
• Knowledge of high-availability systems
• Familiarity with containerisation (e.g., Docker) and cloud-based testing environments
• Experience with digital twin integration