Electrical Engineer (Forward Deployed)

Saronic; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Saronic is seeking a versatile Forward Deployed Electrical Engineer to bring our maritime technology from lab to fleet. You will deploy systems in the field, integrate payloads, and troubleshoot hardware in real-world environments near the water.

In this hands-on role, you will lead rapid electrical prototyping, perform dockside and sea trials, and collaborate with Mechanical and Software teams to ensure robust, field-ready designs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience working on integrated electrical/electromechanical systems, preferably in fielded or mission-critical environments.
• Experience with autonomous systems, drones, or other robotic platforms preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design electrical integration for autonomous service vessels and maritime platforms.
• Lead rapid electrical prototyping to support field experiments and platform evolution.
• Perform system bring-up, integration, and troubleshooting of power, networking, sensor, and compute subsystems.
• Own dockside and sea trials—prepare vessels, install electrical hardware, and validate systems in operational environments.
• Collaborate with Mechanical and Software teams to evolve robust, deployable designs.
• Interface with suppliers and fabrication shops for fast turnarounds of components and harnesses.

Skills

Electrical engineering

Python

Test automation

System integration

Field deployment

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master’s degree a plus

Tools

Multimeters

Oscilloscopes

CANbus

TCP/IP networking

Job description

• We are seeking a versatile Forward Deployed Electrical Engineer to join our technical team. You will have a strong electrical background and be responsible for bringing our technology from the lab to the fleet
• This is not a traditional engineering role. You will be responsible for deploying our systems into the real world, directly supporting maritime missions. You will integrate electrical payloads, debug complex system-level problems, and iterate hardware designs in the field to ensure success. This is a highly hands-on and field-oriented role with time split between the lab, fabrication spaces, and the waterfront
• Design systems to support electrical integration of novel systems and payloads onto our Autonomous Service Vessels (ASVs) and maritime platforms
• Lead rapid prototyping efforts (electrical) to support field experimentation and platform evolution
• Perform system bring-up, integration, and troubleshooting of power, networking, sensor, and compute subsystems. Candidates need to be capable of understanding full system topologies, balancing power budgets, thermal constraints, and signal integrity
• Own dockside and sea trials — prepare vessels, install new electrical hardware packages, and perform system validation in operationally relevant environments
• Drive design-for-assembly and design-for-deployment feedback into electrical product development
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including Mechanical, Software, and Autonomy Engineers, to evolve and harden system designs
• Interface with suppliers and fabrication shops to support fast turnarounds of custom components and harnesses
• Contribute to documentation and training to support the scaling of deployment and manufacturing
• Physical Demands
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Occasional standing and walking within the office
• Manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment
• Visual acuity to read screens, documents, and reports
• Occasional reaching, bending, or stooping to access file drawers, cabinets, or office supplies
• Lifting and carrying items up to 20 pounds occasionally (e.g., office supplies, packages)

Understanding of networking protocols and distributed systems, including TCP/IP, UDP, and message-passing frameworksStrong sense of ownership and bias for action; thrives solving open-ended problems in real-world environmentsWillingness to work in dynamic, hands-on environments, including on and near the waterFamiliarity with maritime environments or naval platforms preferredExperience working with other types of comms: serial (rs232, rs485) and CANbusExposure to ruggedized or IP-rated hardware design preferredHands-on expertise in rapid prototyping and system-level debuggingHands-on expertise in electrical integration (power systems, cabling, connectors, PCB bring-up)Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field. Master’s degree is a plus3+ years of experience working on integrated electrical/electromechanical systems, preferably in fielded or mission-critical environmentsExperience working with a Linux-based operating systemAbility to write basic software tools (e.g., Python, shell scripts) for hardware bring-up or test automation preferredExperience in systems integration or test engineering preferredComfort working with basic electrical test equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes) and field integration setupsExperience with autonomous systems, drones, or other robotic platforms preferred