Global USV Mission Lead - Operations & Planning

Saildrone; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Time Off

Comprehensive Health Coverage

Shared Ownership in the Mission

401(k) Retirement Savings

Investment in Your Growth

Relocation Support

Job summary

Saildrone is seeking a Mission Manager to join the Mission Execution team. You will plan, coordinate, and execute on-the-water operations for Saildrone’s global USV missions, translating customer objectives into executable plans and ensuring fleet readiness.

You will work across internal teams and with external stakeholders, driving mission success while ensuring safety, regulatory compliance, and operational clarity in a fast-paced, mission-critical environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in maritime operations, autonomous systems, defense, aerospace, or complex technical operations.
• Working knowledge of navigation, COLREGS, and maritime safety practices.
• Experience in command-and-control, operations centers, or real-time mission environments.

Responsibilities

• Plan and coordinate global mission operations to achieve schedule and performance targets, in partnership with Sales and Program Delivery.
• Liaise with Coast Guard, Port Captains, and VTS, manage access permissions and reporting.
• Interface with customers via the Mission Portal to align on routing, CONOPS, and troubleshooting with internal SMEs.
• Coordinate fleet size with Fleet Captains to deploy and recover drones per mission needs.
• Monitor fleet navigation, weather risks, and payload status, escalating to 24/7 piloting as needed.
• Refine SOPs and help develop customer training materials and internal documentation.
• Provide vehicle performance updates to Product and R&D to aid quality improvements and testing.

Skills

Maritime Ops

Autonomous Systems

Defense

Aerospace

Operations Centers

Job description

Saildrone is seeking a Mission Manager to join the Mission Execution team. You will plan, coordinate, and execute on-the-water operations for Saildrone’s global USV missions, translating customer objectives into executable plans and ensuring fleet readiness.

You will work across internal teams and with external stakeholders, driving mission success while ensuring safety, regulatory compliance, and operational clarity in a fast-paced, mission-critical environment.