Autonomous Vessel Technical Operations Engineer

Saildrone; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid PTO

Health coverage

Equity

401(k)

Professional development

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Saildrone, a maritime defense company based in Alameda, CA, seeks a Technical Operations Engineer to ensure the reliability and readiness of its autonomous surface vehicles across their lifecycle—from R&D to production and global deployments. You will join a mission-driven Fleet Operations Team and own technical outcomes for vehicles.

The role requires hands-on diagnostics, system integration collaboration with Engineering, and willingness to travel up to 30% for mission execution and field

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in engineering preferred.
• 2+ years experience with embedded systems or robotics.
• Ability to interpret electrical diagrams and mechanical drawings.
• Hands-on experience with serial and network protocols (CAN, RS-485, RS-232, SPI, I2C, TCP/IP).
• Comfortable with Linux OS and shell scripting; APIs a plus.

Responsibilities

• Advanced Diagnostics: Resolve complex hardware, software, and networking issues using Linux CLI, telemetry and scripting.
• System Ownership: Own outcomes for assigned vehicles including reliability and performance SLIs/SLOs.
• Root Cause Analysis: Lead deep-dive RCA for field failures and drive corrective actions.
• Embedded Collaboration: Work with Engineering design teams on architecture and integration testing.
• Global Deployment: Travel up to 30% to lead vehicle preparation and mission execution.
• Incident Response: Participate in on-call rotations for fleet incidents.
• Documentation & Training: Create clear work instructions and training materials.
• Operational Maintenance: Maintain records and inventories per safety standards.

Skills

Embedded systems

Linux & shell scripts

Diagnostics & RCA

Electrical diagrams reading

Clear storytelling to stakeholders

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

CAN

RS-485

RS-232

SPI

I2C

TCP/IP

Job description

Saildrone, a maritime defense company based in Alameda, CA, seeks a Technical Operations Engineer to ensure the reliability and readiness of its autonomous surface vehicles across their lifecycle—from R&D to production and global deployments. You will join a mission-driven Fleet Operations Team and own technical outcomes for vehicles.

The role requires hands-on diagnostics, system integration collaboration with Engineering, and willingness to travel up to 30% for mission execution and field