Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) Pilot

Seasats; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401k matching

Four free lunches per week

Pet-friendly office

Unlimited/Flex PTO

Relocation assistance (within the U.S.

Job summary

Seasats is hiring USV Pilots to remotely operate and support a growing fleet of unmanned surface vessels. You will monitor vehicle health, mission progress, and system performance in real time from an in-office control station in San Diego.

You will handle alerts, execute test procedures, and coordinate with engineering and operations teams. The role requires comfort with long desk work, non-traditional hours, and security-clearance readiness.

Qualifications

• Must be comfortable spending long periods at a desk monitoring live systems.
• Ability to respond quickly to alerts and anomalous behavior.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work non-traditional hours and shifting schedules.
• Ability to obtain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Remotely pilot Seasats USVs through the control UI during tests and operations.
• Monitor live system status, environment, and mission progress in real time.
• Respond to alerts, anomalies, or unexpected behavior as it occurs.
• Execute test plans and operational procedures as defined.
• Communicate findings clearly to engineering and operations teams.
• Log events and results to support debugging, validation, and iteration.

Skills

Remote piloting

System monitoring

Decisions under pressure

Clear communication

Security clearable

Tools

Control UI software

Telemetry dashboards

Job description

Role: Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) Pilot

Location: San Diego, CA (in-office)

Typical working hours: Rotating shift coverage across 24/7 operations, including:

• 3:00 AM - 11:00 AM
• 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
• 7:00 PM - 3:00 AM

Pilots are typically assigned one weekend shift as part of their regular schedule.

Salary Range: $75,000-$100,000 + stock options, 401k matching, relocation assistance within the U.S. (if applicable), and other benefits

Role Overview

Seasats operates a growing fleet of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in real-world testing and customer environments. To support ongoing development, validation, and operations, we’re hiring USV Pilots to remotely operate, monitor, and support these vehicles during daily missions.

This is primarily an in-office, computer-based role. In this role, you’ll be responsible for piloting USVs through our control interface, monitoring vehicle health and mission progress in real time, and supporting testing and customer operations as they happen. Your judgment and attention directly impact vehicle safety, mission success, and how our systems evolve.

Role Details

Day-to-day responsibilities include:

• Remotely piloting Seasats USVs through our control UI during testing and customer operations
• Monitoring live vehicle status, environment, and system behavior during active operations
• Responding to alerts, anomalies, or unexpected behavior in real time
• Executing test plans and operational procedures as defined
• Communicating observations, issues, and feedback clearly to engineering and operations teams
• Logging events, issues, and results to support debugging, validation, and iteration
• Contributing to improvements in testing procedures, tooling, and operator workflows

Work Environment

• This role is performed from an in-office control station in San Diego
• Involves extended periods working at a computer monitoring live systems and data feeds
• Limited fieldwork; on-water interaction is occasional and not a core function of the role
• Travel is minimal and situational, not a standard part of the job
• Operations run across multiple time windows; shift coverage may include daytime, evening, or overnight hours

About You

You’re someone who is comfortable spending long stretches monitoring systems, making decisions based on incomplete information, and staying level-headed when things go wrong. You enjoy working with technology, following procedures, and being a key part of real-world operations.

You’ll need to be:

• Attentive, reliable, and detail-oriented
• Comfortable operating software-driven systems and dashboards
• Calm under pressure and able to respond quickly to changing conditions
• A clear written and verbal communicator
• Willing to work non-traditional hours when required
• Safety-conscious and thoughtful in your decision-making
• Comfortable spending the majority of the workday at a desk monitoring systems and interfaces
• Able to obtain a security clearance

Nice to have

In addition, it’s nice (though not essential) if you have:

• Experience operating autonomous systems, robotics, or similar systems
• Maritime or boating experience
• Experience with testing, QA, or field operations
• Familiarity with mapping tools, telemetry, or monitoring systems
• Experience with video games, simulators, or RC vehicles

Benefits

• Stock options
• Competitive insurance (including a 99% employer-covered Gold HMO plan or other options)
• 401k matching up to 4% of salary
• Four free lunches per week
• An employee activity fund
• A pet-friendly office
• Unlimited/Flex PTO

Seasats provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination of any type based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law.