Lead Marine Engineer (Site Lead)

Bifrost Defence A/S; Karlskrona kommun; On-site; SEK 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Direct collaboration with founders

Own the Karlskrona site

Hands-on engineering role

Job summary

Marine Alpha in Karlskrona is seeking a hands-on Lead Engineer to own the local development of our autonomous unmanned surface vessels. You’ll build, wire, test, and iterate on platform hardware and software, working closely with Munich teammates.

This role emphasizes practical engineering, mentoring students, cross-discipline collaboration, and shaping the Karlskrona site as it grows.

Qualifications

• Hands-on marine engineering experience prioritised for this role.
• Solid experience with autonomous systems, robotics or similar hardware platforms.
• Strong network in the Karlskrona area and local ecosystem.
• Ability to own day-to-day direction of a small growing team.
• Willingness to operate across mechanical, electrical and software domains.

Responsibilities

• Build, wire, install, calibrate and test the vessel platform hands-on.
• Own the Karlskrona site's engineering output end to end.
• Coordinate closely with the Munich team to align platforms.
• Guide and coordinate students working on Marine Alpha platforms.
• Shape and grow the local team and technology decisions.

Skills

Hands-on marine engineering

Autonomous systems

Robotics

Cross-domain engineering

Team leadership

Job description

Build what the sea hasn't seen yet. Marine Alpha develops next-generation unmanned surface vessels (USVs) that combine robust platform design with advanced autonomy, sensing and mission systems. Our approach is built around standardised components, rigorous engineering and open interfaces, creating platforms that can evolve as technology and mission needs evolve. Part of the team is based in Munich, with development in Karlskrona happening in close collaboration with the Marine Technology Centre of Sweden. We are looking for someone to lead our local development effort on-site, a role where you're building, wrenching and testing the platform yourself, day to day, while guiding and growing the team of students working with us there. This is a hands-on engineering role first, leadership second. We need someone who builds, screws things together, wires them up, and tests them on the water themselves, not someone directing others to do it. You'll be close to the platform at every stage: mechanical integration, electrical systems, autopilot and navigation, mission testing.

Tasks

• Build, wire, install, calibrate and test the vessel platform yourself, hands-on.

• Own the Karlskrona site's engineering output end to end.

• Coordinate closely with the team in Munich to keep the platform aligned across sites.

• Guide and coordinate the students working on Marine Alpha's platforms.

• Work close to the technology, decisions and people building Marine Alpha.

• Build and shape the local team as it grows.

Requirements

• Genuine, hands-on marine engineering experience is what we're prioritising for this role above all else – it's the background we most want to bring into the team, and the closer your experience is to it, the better

• Solid industry experience with autonomous systems, robotics, or comparable hardware platforms

• A good network in the Karlskrona area – comfortable operating within the local ecosystem

• Confidence taking ownership of a small, growing team and its day-to-day direction

• Comfortable moving between mechanical, electrical and software domains as the project demands

• Ability to guide and mentor working students and thesis candidates

Benefits

• Real technology. Work with real vessel platforms, data and engineering challenges.

• Real ownership. Lead a growing team and shape how the Karlskrona site develops.

• Direct collaboration. Work directly with the founding engineers and decision makers.

• Competitive salary, reflecting the seniority and responsibility of the role.

• Real impact. Shape the technology, the team and the future of Marine Alpha.

How we hire

• Intro call

• Cultural fit conversation

• Final interview

If you want to build technology that leaves the screen, meets the physical world and has to perform when it matters – with your own hands, not just on paper – come build with us.