Autonomous Vessel Captain for Robotic Tests

Dover; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Ulysses in San Francisco seeks a Boat Captain to manage vessels supporting marine robot tests and customer missions. You’ll oversee the boat, the crew, and operations safety, planning trips with the team and ensuring readiness between deployments.

You will work with operations and engineering to deploy, recover, and maintain robots, while keeping meticulous trip records and ensuring ongoing safety at sea for the tests and missions.

Qualifications

• Professional experience taking responsibility for small vessels and crew.
• Confident boat handling and sound judgment about weather and sea state.
• Knowledge of navigation, marine radio, and emergency procedures.
• Experience planning water-work and making decisions under changing conditions.
• Ability to inspect and maintain boats and identify faults.
• Clear communication with varying boating experience levels.
• Comfort with hands-on testing and vessel safety responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Plan each trip with the mission team: operating area, weather limits, crew, equipment, communications, recovery plan and stop conditions.
• Command the vessel during tests and deployments, maintain lookout and safe separation from robots and other vessels.
• Brief everyone aboard on deck procedures and emergency actions; raise concerns early.
• Coordinate robot launch and recovery with the deck team, including lifting gear and launch hardware.
• Keep boats ready to operate through routine checks, servicing, and repairs; arrange specialist maintenance when needed.
• Prepare safety equipment, fuel, spares, tools and deployment kits for trips and travel.
• Keep trip records, report incidents and provide feedback on equipment performance.

Skills

Vessel operation

Crew leadership

Navigation and comms

Decision making

Safety awareness

Communication

Hands-on equipment

Job description

Ulysses in San Francisco seeks a Boat Captain to manage vessels supporting marine robot tests and customer missions. You’ll oversee the boat, the crew, and operations safety, planning trips with the team and ensuring readiness between deployments.

You will work with operations and engineering to deploy, recover, and maintain robots, while keeping meticulous trip records and ensuring ongoing safety at sea for the tests and missions.