Saildrone

Saildrone

Senior Systems Engineer

Alameda, California, United States · Senior

Sponsorship not specified$176k-$227kDetected 7 days ago
Project ManagementSalesBusiness DevelopmentSystems EngineeringRoboticsLeadershipCommunication

About the role

  • Saildrone is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to join our Engineering organization.
  • Your work will directly impact vehicle performance, reliability, and the successful deployment of autonomous systems at sea.
  • The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in systems engineering and program execution within the defense, aerospace, or maritime industries.

Responsibilities

  • Define and maintain system architectures and interface control documents (ICDs) to achieve high platform reliability and performance across hardware, firmware, and software domains.
  • At Saildrone, we're building operational capability that matters-and that requires people who can do their best work over the long term.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Systems, Mechanical, Electrical, or related engineering discipline.
  • 12+ years of experience in systems engineering, including leadership of complex, multidisciplinary programs.
  • Proven experience delivering integrated systems in defense, aerospace, maritime, robotics, or autonomy domains.
  • Experience with MBSE tools, system modeling, and configuration management practices.
  • Demonstrated ability to make technical decisions in environments with high complexity, ambiguity, and time pressure.
  • Ability to operate effectively across lab, field, and operational environments.
  • They must be a strategic yet hands-on leader who thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth environment and can lead multidisciplinary teams through complex technical challenges with clarity, precision, and rigor.
  • Deep understanding of systems architecture, requirements engineering, integration, and verification methodologies.
  • Strong communication and leadership skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Compensation

  • $176,400 - $226,800 USD

Benefits

  • Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support you and your family while you contribute to a mission with lasting significance.
  • 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.

Company info

  • The Systems Engineering function is responsible for technical leadership of key R&D programs, establishing clear system-level requirements and interfaces at the onset, ensuring technical progress and coordination for the duration, then leading the test phase to verify system performance against the pre-defined requirements and goals.
  • They will partner closely with Hardware, Firmware, Security, Software, and Project Management teams to ensure delivery of robust, scalable, and high-performance systems.
  • Architecture & Rigor: Define and maintain system architectures and interface control documents (ICDs) to achieve high platform reliability and performance across hardware, firmware, and software domains.
  • Requirements Decomposition: Be accountable for the full system requirements lifecycle-from decomposition to traceability and verification-ensuring all subsystems align with pre-defined mission goals and performance metrics.
  • Program Leadership: Lead the technical execution of key R&D programs, ensuring technical progress across multidisciplinary teams from project onset through final sea trials.
  • Cross-Functional Handoffs: Work closely with Hardware, Firmware, and Security teams to align on staffing needs, project dependencies, and interface definitions to ensure the successful delivery of technical milestones.
  • Verification & Validation (V&V): Execute comprehensive verification campaigns-including lab, dockside, and at-sea testing-to confirm system performance against governing defense and maritime safety standards.
  • Configuration & Change Management: Adhere to and establish rigorous configuration control and change management processes to prevent technical debt and ensure system-level safety in fast-moving development cycles.
  • Risk & Compliance Management: Monitor for system integration gaps and governing compliance risks, taking action to resolve technical blockers and escalate when program safety or performance thresholds are exceeded.
  • Function Building: Meet commitments to build and scale the systems engineering team, recruiting world-class talent and establishing the MBSE tools and standards necessary for global fleet expansion.

Equal opportunity

  • Saildrone is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
  • equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
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This listing is sourced directly from Saildrone's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.