About UsWith more than 2 million nautical miles sailed and 50,000 days at sea, Saildrone has earned the trust of governments worldwide. Our unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) deliver continuous, real-time intelligence in the toughest oceans on Earth—giving our partners faster awareness, stronger security, and a decisive edge at sea.Our USVs are long-range, extreme-endurance platforms powered by advanced sensors and proprietary AI - they have been designed to operate where no crewed vessel can. They collect critical insights above and below the surface to support border security, law enforcement, naval operations, and undersea infrastructure protection.Headquartered in Alameda, CA, with offices in Washington, DC, and global deployment hubs, Saildrone operates missions worldwide. Join a fast-moving, mission-driven team at the intersection of AI, autonomy, and defense technology—where data turns into intelligence, and intelligence drives action. The RoleThe Head of Engineering will lead Saildrone’s engineering organization, overseeing Hardware, Software, Firmware, Electrical Engineering, Technical Program Management (TPM), Systems engineering, Security, and Change Management. Reporting directly to the CEO, this role will provide operational leadership to a multidisciplinary team of approximately 100 engineers. This is a critical senior leadership position responsible for understanding the technical vision set by the CEO, translating it into key requirements, defining engineering priorities, and ensuring that projects and key deliverables are executed to the highest standards of quality and timeliness. The Head of Engineering will work closely with cross-functional leaders to align engineering initiatives with Saildrone’s mission and business objectives.Having full budget responsibility for the company-wide engineering organization, the Head of Engineering will manage that organization to a mutually agreed budget and timeline, ensuring teams are adequately resourced, trained and tasked appropriately to achieve engineering deliverables. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience managing large, diverse engineering teams in a fast-paced, high-growth technology environment, ideally within the defense, aerospace, or maritime sectors. They must be a hands-on leader capable of balancing strategic oversight with deep technical engagement, while fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and execution. ResponsibilitiesEngineering Leadership<ul><li>Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary engineering team of ~100 engineers across Hardware, Software, Firmware, Electrical Engineering, TPM, and Change Management.</li><li>Execute the engineering organization’s strategic direction, goals, and priorities in alignment with ongoing mission support, new functionality, and wider company objectives.</li><li>Drive technical excellence and innovation across all engineering disciplines.</li></ul> Program &amp; Project Delivery<ul><li>Oversee the prioritization, planning, and execution of all engineering deliverables.</li><li>Define project timelines with well scoped milestones and deliverables, owning the overall project schedule and assessing impact to the engineering roadmap as priorities change or develop.</li><li>Work to ensure all projects are delivered on time, within scope, and to the highest quality standards.</li><li>Implement best practices for technical program management, quality, resource allocation, and risk mitigation.</li></ul> Cross-Functional Collaboration<ul><li>Partner with Business Development and Mission teams to ensure engineering solutions meet operational and customer requirements.</li><li>Facilitate communication and alignment across departments to support Saildrone’s mission and strategic initiatives.</li><li>Align with Production and Operations group leads around engineering releases and product roll-out timelines.</li></ul> Talent Development &amp; Team Building<ul><li>Recruit, retain, and develop top engineering talent across all disciplines.</li><li>Foster a culture of high performance, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.</li><li>Mentor and coach engineering leaders to build strong management capabilities within the organization.</li></ul> Operational Excellence<ul><li>Develop and manage engineering budgets, resource plans, and performance metrics.</li><li>Oversee change management processes to ensure well thought out and researched ECO protocol and adequate testing and validation, prior to roll out.</li><li>Ensure adherence to relevant industry standards, regulations, and best practices.</li></ul> Required Skills and Experience<ul><li>Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or related technical field; advanced technical or management degree preferred.</li><li>15+ years of engineering leadership experience, including managing large, multidisciplinary teams in high-growth technology companies.</li><li>Proven track record in delivering complex hardware and software systems on time and within budget.</li><li>Experience in the defense, aerospace, or maritime industries strongly preferred.</li><li>Demonstrated ability to lead in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.</li><li>Exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and communication skills.</li><li>Strong understanding of engineering best practices, product lifecycle management, and configuration control.</li></ul> Location: This position is in Alameda, CA. 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:<ul><li>Paid time off, including vacation, bereavement, jury duty, sick time and parental leave</li><li>Comprehensive and competitive medical, dental and vision plans, and HSA with employer matching.</li><li>Company sponsored life insurance</li><li>Stock Options</li><li>Annual stipend for continued learning and development</li><li>Quarterly company BBQs at our Alameda HQ (bring your friends and family!)</li><li>Free Bay Area Public Transportation via AlamedaTMA with the BayPass Clipper Card</li></ul> <div><div>The salary range for the role is $250,000-$350,000 annually.</div></div><div> </div> Individual compensation packages are based on geographic location, scope of the role, and relevant experience, among other factors.<div>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.</div> #LI-Onsite

Saildrone designs and manufactures wind and solar powered autonomous surface vehicles called Saildrones, which make cost-effective ocean data collection possible at scale. We are working with governments, civic agencies, foundations, universities, and private companies around the globe to drive better information about our oceans and seas - be it in mapping out the ocean floor, collecting new CO2 data in hard-to-reach areas, counting biomass to establish fishing quotas, or detecting and stopping illegal fishing and trafficking. We believe that better inputs in planetary models in turn yield better outputs and that the new insights gained in weather forecasting, carbon cycling, global fishing and climate change will have tremendous impact on humanity. We are based in Alameda, CA.

Head of Engineering

About the Job

About the Company

Saildrone

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