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 seeking a Senior Manager, Technical Operations Engineer, to join our Fleet Operations Team.

Reporting directly to the VP, Fleet Operations, you will play a critical role in ensuring the reliability, performance, and readiness of Saildrone’s autonomous surface vehicles across their full lifecycle; from research and development, production, through global deployments, in all operating environments. We are looking for a leader who has a proven track record of independently driving execution in a fast-paced and multi-disciplinary environment. THE TEAM The Technical Operations team provides first line remote technical support to ensure Saildrone’s autonomous systems perform reliably in the world’s most demanding maritime environments.

We partner with Engineering, Production, and Operations to bridge design and deployment, accelerate product iteration, and deliver resilient systems that support national security, maritime intelligence, and science exploration missions.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead a high performing team of Technical Operations Engineers, providing fleet overwatch to achieve 24/7 mission success, managing on-call rotations and prioritizing timely incident response across multiple fleets. Be accountable for the Technical Operations team to drive technical resolutions for reliability incidents and quality events. Working with several other departments across the organization and senior management to identify and mitigate issues encountered in the field.

Apply systems engineering principles to conduct Root Cause Analysis (RCA) across complex, interconnected environments, translating system data into high-leverage operational improvements. Adhere to engineering standards and operational protocols, while driving the evolution of fleet operations through long-term hardware fixes and software optimizations. Provide timely updates on fleet health, incidents, and data-backed narratives to executive leadership to support rapid strategic decision-making.

Manage Fleet of Engineering Development Drones, processing R&D requests testing and validating both hardware and software changes. Establish a culture of accountability, ownership, and engineering excellence, building and scaling a world-class team capable of operating defense-grade autonomous systems at scale. Meet commitments to build a high-performing team by recruiting and mentoring talent for growth, fostering a culture of rapid iteration, technical reliability, and operational readiness.

in accordance with company values, safety expectations, quality standards, and ethical guidelines.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Systems, Robotics, Software, Aerospace) or a related technical discipline. 5+ years of experience in engineering leadership or lead roles, with a proven track record of managing teams supporting complex hardware, robotics, or autonomous systems. Working knowledge of autonomous system payloads and the ability to make critical, high-impact decisions under pressure in a 24/7 environment.