Software Engineer, Autonomous Systems

Saildrone; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 323,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Time Off

Comprehensive Health Coverage

Shared Ownership in the Mission

401(k) retirement plan

Investment in Your Growth

Relocation Support

Job summary

Saildrone, a maritime defense company based in Alameda, CA, is building autonomous unmanned surface vehicles.

As a Software Engineer, Autonomous Systems, you will turn autonomy algorithms into reliable capabilities on real vehicles, working across perception, localization, planning, and vehicle behavior, with field validation in challenging environments.

Qualifications

• Strong C++ software engineering skills and production-quality software.
• Hands-on software development for autonomous systems or other complex physical systems.
• Deep expertise in at least one autonomy area (perception, localization, planning, navigation, or decision-making).
• Strong understanding of algorithms and tradeoffs for autonomous systems.
• Experience integrating algorithms into larger software systems and debugging with real-world data.
• Ability to reason about system behavior, performance, and reliability.
• Experience developing and validating software that runs on real hardware.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and deploy production autonomy software in C++.
• Develop and integrate algorithms for autonomous perception, localization, planning, navigation, decision-making, or vehicle behavior.
• Evaluate algorithmic approaches and tradeoffs among accuracy, robustness, computational cost, latency, and reliability.
• Integrate autonomy software with sensors, vehicle systems, and other components of the autonomous system.
• Use simulation, testing, telemetry, and real-world vehicle data to validate behavior and diagnose failures.
• Improve the robustness and performance of autonomous capabilities as they move from development into fielded systems.
• Contribute to the architecture and evolution of Saildrone's next-generation autonomy stack.

Skills

C++ software engineering

Autonomous systems software

Perception localization planning

Algorithm integration

Real-world data debugging

Hardware deployment

Job description

The Company

Saildrone is a maritime defense company and the global leader in autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). With more ocean miles and real-world operational experience than any USV manufacturer or operator, Saildrone maintains active, combat-deployed systems supporting national security and force projection around the world, 24/7/365.

The Company

Saildrone is a maritime defense company and the global leader in autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). With more ocean miles and real-world operational experience than any USV manufacturer or operator, Saildrone maintains active, combat-deployed systems supporting national security and force projection around the world, 24/7/365. Saildrone’s manufacturing and R&D headquarters are located in Alameda, CA, with business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs in Europe and the Middle East. By combining proven autonomous operations, edge computing, advanced sensing, renewable power, and the most advanced and robust unmanned surface technology on the planet, Saildrone is shaping how the Navy of the future operates. Join a fast-moving, mission-driven team at the forefront of maritime security and autonomous innovation.

THE POSITION

Saildrone is building autonomous maritime systems that must perceive, reason about, and respond to the physical world without continuous human intervention. As a Software Engineer, Autonomous Systems, you will develop the software that turns autonomy algorithms into reliable capabilities running on real vehicles.

You will work across the autonomy stack, applying strong software engineering and robotics expertise to problems such as perception, localization, planning, decision-making, and vehicle behavior. The work spans algorithm implementation, system integration, testing, and field validation, with the opportunity to work on autonomous systems operating for long periods in challenging environments far from human operators.

The Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and deploy production autonomy software in C++.


• Develop and integrate algorithms for autonomous perception, localization, planning, navigation, decision-making, or vehicle behavior.


• Evaluate algorithmic approaches and make practical tradeoffs among accuracy, robustness, computational cost, latency, and reliability.


• Integrate autonomy software with sensors, vehicle systems, and other components of the autonomous system.


• Use simulation, testing, telemetry, and real-world vehicle data to validate behavior and diagnose failures.


• Improve the robustness and performance of autonomous capabilities as they move from development into fielded systems.


• Contribute to the architecture and evolution of Saildrone's next-generation autonomy stack.

The Qualifications

• Strong C++ software engineering skills and experience building production-quality software.


• Hands-on experience developing software for autonomous systems, robotics, or other complex physical systems.


• Deep technical expertise in at least one area of autonomy, such as perception, localization, state estimation, planning, navigation, controls, or decision-making.


• Strong understanding of the algorithms and engineering tradeoffs relevant to autonomous systems.


• Experience integrating algorithms into larger software systems and debugging behavior using real-world data.


• Ability to reason about system behavior, performance, and reliability rather than treating algorithms as isolated components.


• Experience developing and validating software that ultimately runs on real hardware.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with autonomous vehicles, aerospace, defense, maritime systems, or other safety- or mission-critical applications.


• Experience with real-time or resource-constrained systems.


• Experience taking autonomy software through simulation, hardware integration, and field testing.


• Experience with Python for analysis, experimentation, or tooling.

The base salary range for this position is shown below. Actual compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and qualifications. This range reflects the base salary for candidates in states requiring pay transparency disclosure. Salary Range $144,500-$322,742 USD. To view Saildrone's candidate privacy policy, please visit: https://www.saildrone.com/privacy-policy.

Benefits

• Generous Time Off: Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave ensure you can rest, reset, and sustain performance over time.


• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents - providing security and peace of mind.


• Shared Ownership in the Mission: Equity grants are a core part of our compensation, allowing you to participate in the long-term value you help create through meaningful, operational work.


• Retirement Savings: Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options supports long-term financial planning.


• Investment in Your Growth: We support your continuous learning through an annual professional development reimbursement program, empowering you to sharpen your skills and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving field.


• Relocation Support: For eligible roles, we offer relocation assistance to help bring the world’s best talent to our mission-critical locations.

Saildrone is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.