Tech Lead Manager, Robotics Software

About Us

Saildrone is a defense company delivering maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance products to military, homeland security, and commercial customers. Saildrone unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) are extreme-endurance platforms equipped with advanced sensors and proprietary AI to provide persistent insights above and below the sea surface. Insights that support border security, law enforcement, undersea infrastructure protection, hydrography, and naval power applications. With more than 2,000,000 nautical miles sailed and 50,000 days at sea, Saildrone USVs are trusted by governments across the planet and set the standard for cost-efficient maritime intelligence in the world's harshest environments.

We are based in Alameda, CA, with offices in Washington DC and St. Petersburg, FL, and operate missions worldwide. This is an exciting opportunity with a fast-growing team at the cutting-edge intersection of big data services, autonomy, and AI. You will be part of a high-performing, multidisciplinary team delivering data, intelligence, and firepower for strategic superiority.

The Role

We’re seeking a highly skilled and experienced Robotics Software Engineer who will lead our core vehicle systems team. You will split your time between hands-on development and leading a small engineering team to ensure successful execution of a roadmap in alignment with other software and firmware teams, hardware teams and business objectives. The scope of the core vehicle systems team encompasses:

• On-board control of core hardware and software systems
• Logging and relay of information into the data pipeline up to the cloud
• Integration of new hardware components and monitoring, in collaboration with firmware and hardware teams

This role is required to be onsite in Alameda, CA in the Bay Area 3 days per week - this is our hybrid model. This is not a remote position

What you’ll do

The first few months in this role will be 100% as an IC, to allow you to get familiar with the stack and how we work. You'll then transition to roughly a 50/50 split between managing a small team and individual contributor work.

• Work with your team and engineering leaders and other technical and non-technical stakeholders to develop a high quality on-board software stack.
• Develop, review and ensure quality design of on-board software components that align to a consistent architectural approach.
• Utilize your engineering management skills to plan and execute along a roadmap defined by business objectives and informed by rigorous engineering design.
• Ensure software releases are delivered on time and meet the established quality standards.
• Work with our technical program management team to align work to schedules and ensure delivery.
• Communicate in a friendly, supportive manner with engineers or other stakeholders, ensuring alignment and advocating for effective solutions.
• Engage with cross-functional teams of product managers, technical program managers, technical leads, hardware engineers, software engineers and infrastructure engineers.
• Mentor and facilitate career development for individual contributors.
• Work with engineering leadership to define and measure success of the vehicle systems software stack using rigorous key performance metrics.
• Drive and support a culture of rigorous design and test around software features.

Required Skills

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, most of those in embedded, realtime software, robotics, working with sensors, actuators, motors, engines, etc. and expert-level proficiency in C++
• 1+ years people management experience, including technical team leadership, scheduling, and resource planning
• Experience in robotics middleware (e.g., ROS, custom stacks)
• Able to provide clear priorities, and be hands on as needed to ensure successful delivery.
• Knowledge of software processes to produce sustainable and maintainable code.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in related field (Robotics, CS, EE, etc) preferred

Desired Skills

• Experience reviewing hardware and offboard software designs (example: schematics, UI design), and translating the impacts on onboard software
• Experience with oceanographic, navigation, or environmental sensors, including calibration and validation
• Proficiency in Python for scripting, tooling, and data analysis
• Familiarity with simulation and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing environments
• Knowledge of communication protocols (TCP/IP, CAN, J1939, NMEA-2000) and interfacing with embedded firmware

Physical Requirements

• Work is performed on a computer and requires ability to operate a keyboard and other peripheral devices.

Location : This position is hybrid in Alameda, CA (Onsite 3 days per week required) Our waterfront office offers beautiful views of San Francisco Bay in always sunny Alameda.

All employees are required to provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. within their first 3 days of work. Please note that the Company does not sponsor employees for work visas or permanent resident cards to work in the U.S. If you need sponsorship for a work visa or green card, you will not be qualified for employment with Saildrone.

Benefits :

• Paid time off, including vacation, bereavement, jury duty, sick time and parental leave
• Comprehensive and competitive medical, dental and vision plans, and HSA with employer matching.
• Company sponsored life insurance
• Stock Options
• Annual stipend for continued learning and development
• Quarterly company BBQs at our Alameda HQ (bring your friends and family!)
• Free Bay Area Public Transportation via AlamedaTMA with the BayPass Clipper Card
• Plenty of snacks in our 3 office locations
• Dog-friendly work environment

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $189,000-$243,000 annually.

Catch up on the latest news about us:

Individual compensation packages are based on geographic location, scope of the role, relevant experience, and the ability to deal with complexity and problem solve within our organization, among other factors.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Any unsolicited resumes/candidate profiles submitted through our website or to personal email accounts of employees of Saildrone are considered property of Saildrone and are not subject to payment of agency fees.

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