Director of Maritime Operations (Unmanned Surface Vessels)

Fathom Robotics; Eglin Air Force Base (FL); On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Fathom Robotics seeks a Director of Maritime Operations to stand up and lead a team that operates and maintains small and medium unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for customers worldwide. The role is based near Eglin AFB, with deployments worldwide and growth to 12+ personnel.

You will hire, set standards, manage multiple programs, and serve as the daily point of contact for customers, range operators, OEMs, and deployment schedulers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Led an operations team with hiring, standards and growth.
• 10+ years leading teams in maritime, military, or defense operations.
• Maritime planning: mission planning, waterway/range coordination, COLREGS and safety.
• Experience planning and leading OCONUS deployments or austere ops.
• Experience writing SOPs and training or qualification standards.
• Credible with government customers and strong field relationships.
• U.S. citizenship required for clearance eligibility; SECRET clearance preferred.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the operations and maintenance team: hire, train, and mentor operators and technicians.
• Write and maintain SOPs, maintenance programs, and qualification standards; update with lessons learned.
• Plan and lead global deployments of unmanned maritime systems from planning through travel and clearances.
• Lead operators and technicians in the field and set crew rotation for each deployment.
• Oversee maintenance of USVs and payloads; track readiness and uptime across sites.
• Serve as daily point of contact for customers, range operators, OEMs, and deployment schedulers.

Skills

Leadership

Team building

Maritime operations

Program management

SOP writing

Customer liaison

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

DoD USV platforms

3M maintenance system

Job description

ABOUT FATHOM ROBOTICS

Fathom Robotics provides operations, maintenance, training, and applied engineering services for uncrewed maritime systems supporting U.S. Government and commercial defense programs. We have multiple active projects across a variety of government and commercial clients and are actively fielding systems in operational environments.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Fathom Robotics is hiring a Director of Maritime Operations to stand up and lead a team that operates and maintains small and medium unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for customers worldwide. The team will be based near Eglin AFB, deployable worldwide, and expected to grow to 12 or more people supporting a multimillion dollar fleet.

You will set the standards, hire and qualify the people, and manage several programs at once, with operators in the field and vessels in the shop. This leadership role suits someone who knows how to build teams and run operations, and who will learn the systems well enough to lead the people who work on them. Customer programs fund the role and the team. You have authority to hire, set pay within approved ranges, and approve deployments.

You own whether the fleet is ready and the team is prepared when the customer needs them.

LOCATION:Within one hour of Eglin AFB (Fort Walton Beach and Niceville area)

WORK TYPE: Full-Time

CLEARANCE: SECRET (active preferred, eligible candidates considered); TS/SCI eligible

PROGRAM CONDITIONS

Expect travel about 35% of the time to ranges and customer sites around the world, some on short notice. Work happens in shops, pierside, and on vessels at sea.

Team deployments run weeks to months and can shift. Expect long days around test events. The role requires lifting up to 30 pounds, outdoor work, and PPE use, with or without reasonable accommodation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build and lead the operations and maintenance team: hire, train, and mentor operators and technicians
• Write and maintain SOPs, maintenance programs, and personnel qualification standards, qualify operators against them, and update each with lessons learned
• Plan and lead global deployments of unmanned maritime systems, from mission planning and staffing through clearances, base access, training, and travel
• Lead operators and technicians in the field and set crew rotation for each deployment
• Oversee operation and maintenance of small and medium USVs and payloads, keep vessels, spares, and support equipment ready across sites, and track readiness and uptime
• Serve as daily point of contact for customers, range operators, OEMs, and deployment schedulers, with recurring status reports
• Manage program schedules, staffing, cost, travel days, and utilization across concurrent programs
• Support proposals with staffing plans, labor mix, and travel estimates
• Ensure safety, security, and export control compliance on every deployment

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
• Has stood up or led an operations team or capability, including hiring, standards, and growth
• 10+ years leading teams in maritime, military, or defense operations
• Maritime planning experience: mission planning, waterway or range coordination, COLREGS, and safety
• Experience planning and leading OCONUS deployments or operations in austere conditions
• Experience writing SOPs and training or qualification standards
• Credible with government customers and comfortable running the relationship in the field
• Learns technical systems quickly and earns the respect of operators and technicians
• U.S. citizenship required for clearance eligibility
• Active SECRET clearance or eligibility to obtain one, and eligibility for TS/SCI; employment is contingent on obtaining and maintaining the clearance
• Able to travel about 35% of the time, including overseas; valid U.S. passport or ability to obtain one

Preferred Backgrounds:

• Naval, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Special Operations service, including J3 or S3 staff roles, or equivalent civilian maritime or expeditionary leadership
• Hands-on experience operating or maintaining small craft or unmanned surface vessels
• Experience with DoD USV platforms, plus ROV or UUV exposure
• Prior fleet or program manager role for unmanned systems
• USCG license, STCW, or small boat operator certifications
• Familiarity with Navy 3M or similar maintenance management systems
• Experience supporting range, test, or expeditionary operations

Compensation: $170,000-$200,000/year, commensurate with experience

Start Date: Contingent upon contract award, in the near term. We are running our hiring process now so we can bring the right person on quickly once award is confirmed.

Fathom Robotics is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.