Marine Recovery Engineer

stokespacetechnologies; Florida; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Stoke is seeking a Marine Recovery Engineer to build recovery capabilities for the Nova launch vehicle. You will locate, capture, and recover flight hardware from the open ocean, then return it safely to port.

You will develop recovery techniques, select vessels, write procedures, and execute offshore campaigns with a small team spanning Florida and Washington. Relocation to Cape Canaveral is required.

Qualifications

• Hands‑on offshore operations experience and ability to lead non‑routine tasks at sea.
• Experience chartering/directing support vessels and crews for offshore operations.
• Hands‑on experience with offshore lifting, crane operations, rigging, and towing operations.
• Ability to develop recovery operations from first principles in dynamic, uncertain sea conditions.
• Experience adapting vessels/equipment for new uses when off‑the‑shelf solutions don’t fit.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own recovery CONOPS for retrieving flight hardware from the ocean.
• Develop and prove out unconventional at‑sea capture, lifting, securing, and transit techniques.
• Plan and lead offshore recovery test and demonstration campaigns to build operational maturity.
• Lead vessel strategy: identify, charter, and integrate support vessels and offshore equipment.
• Serve as engineering lead for recovery hardware and systems across multiple disciplines.
• Develop safety cases, risk assessment, and procedures for offshore crews.
• Interface with vendors, regulatory bodies, and classification societies (USCG, ABS, DNV).
• Author, review, and approve test and operational procedures.
• Develop and manage technical specifications for recovery operations.

Skills

Offshore operations

Rigging calculations

Crane operations

Troubleshooting

Leadership

Relocation willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree in naval architecture, marine engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar field

Job description

At Stoke, we believe a thriving space economy will enable a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable future here on Earth. That is why we're building Nova, our fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle. Designed for daily flight, Nova tackles the core challenges of space transportation by reducing cost, increasing availability, and improving reliability. By radically lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence, we're helping create a truly scalable space industry.

Our team is mission-driven, collaborative, and empowered to take ownership of their work. If you want to work alongside some of the most dedicated and talented people on Earth, we'd love to have you join us.

The Role

Reusable systems with frequent launch cadence are the key to connecting Earth and space, and a reliable recovery system is integral to a fully reusable launch vehicle. As Marine Recovery Engineer, you will build Stoke's capability to locate, capture, and recover Nova flight hardware from the open ocean and return it safely to port.

There is no established playbook. You will develop recovery techniques, select and adapt the vessels, write the procedures, and then go offshore and run the operation yourself. You'll own the work from CONOPS through commissioning and live recovery campaigns, as part of a small team spanning Florida and Washington.

This role is a fit if:

• Have personally planned and led non-routine offshore operations such as salvage, at-sea retrieval, heavy-lift, or towing, where you made the calls on deck rather than supporting someone else's plan
• Can engineer the solution (rigging calculations, lift plans, stability, structural loads) and then execute it at sea
• Are comfortable building procedures and techniques from first principles when nothing off the shelf fits

This role is probably not a fit if:

• Your offshore experience is primarily routine vessel operations, crewing, or executing established procedures
• Your engineering experience is primarily office-based design without significant time offshore or involved in unique operations.
• You're looking for a project management or vessel management position
• You are not prepared to relocate to Cape Canaveral and spend extended periods offshore

Responsibilities

• Develop and own recovery CONOPS for retrieving flight hardware from the ocean environment across a range of sea states, scenarios, and operational conditions
• Develop and prove out unconventional at-sea capture, lifting, securing, and transit techniques for recovering floating hardware
• Plan and lead offshore recovery test and demonstration campaigns, iterating rapidly on technique and equipment to build the operational maturity needed to eventually support full recovery
• Lead vessel strategy: identify, charter, and integrate support vessels and associated offshore equipment suited to each recovery scenario
• Serve as the engineering lead for recovery hardware and systems, providing oversight across structural, mechanical, rigging, lifting, and operational disciplines
• Develop safety cases, risk assessment, and operational procedures for offshore crews
• Interface directly with external vendors, regulatory bodies, and classification societies (United States Coast Guard (USCG), American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), etc.)
• Author, review, and approve test and operational procedures
• Develop and manage technical specifications
• Provide technical direction for operations personnel
• Coordinate across multi-discipline engineering and operations across Florida and Washington
• Develop an innate understanding of the Nova launch vehicle and ensure recovery systems enable rapid return-to-launch

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands‑on offshore operations experience, with direct involvement in salvage, marine recovery, heavy‑lift, towing, or at‑sea retrieval of hardware
• Demonstrated experience chartering and directing support vessels and crews for non‑routine offshore operations
• Hands‑on experience with offshore lifting, crane operations, rigging, and/or towing operations
• Proven ability to develop and execute recovery or salvage operations from first principles in dynamic, ambiguous conditions at sea
• Experience adapting commercial or off‑the‑shelf vessels and equipment to new uses in lieu of purpose‑built, long‑lead assets
• Bachelor's degree in naval architecture, marine engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar field
• Strong engineering fundamentals across multiple disciplines (naval architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, etc.)
• Proven hands‑on experience building, operating, or troubleshooting complex systems in a marine environment
• Ability to troubleshoot problems and implement solutions real time
• Ability to prioritize and execute
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Ability to lead and follow
• Willing to relocate to Cape Canaveral, FL
• Willingness and ability to travel, including internationally, and TDY (Temporary Duty) from days to weeks offshore