Vehicle Assembly & Service Technician

Job Description

Job Description

About Us

Saildrone builds autonomous systems that dominate the world’s oceans

With 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 Role

Saildrone's autonomous surface vehicles operate for unprecedented periods of time in the most unforgiving environments on the planet. From inside of hurricanes to the frigid waters of the Arctic, the stresses they endure are immense. The technical execution of preparing the vehicles for their mission and servicing their constituent parts must be performed with a high degree of skill and consistency. As a Vehicle Assembly & Service Technician, you will be responsible for constructing and servicing Saildrone vehicles as well as training and leading others to do the same.

You will collaborate with a variety of teams in engineering, operations, and production. You will interact with clients and lead teams, both in the shop and around the world, to execute assembly and service operations. You will help turn in-field realities into product improvements, serving as an important link between our end users and the teams at Saildrone who design our products.

What You'll Do

• Lead the assembly and service workflows for Saildrone’s vehicle fleet, ensuring that our drones are fully mission capable and able to maintain exceptionally high uptime.
• Travel domestically and internationally to deploy and repair Saildrone vehicles.
• Train contractors, clients, and other third-parties on how to assemble and service Saildrone vehicles.
• Provide input on how to improve in-field assembly and service procedures as well as vehicle designs.

What We're Looking For

A top performer in this role will be highly motivated by and skilled in the following areas :

Required Skills

Skills that are necessary to executing the core functions of this role are listed below :

Preferred Skills

Here's a non-exhaustive list of specific skills where prior knowledge or experience would lend itself to high performance :

Physical Requirements : Ability to support 50% travel, domestic and international. Able to work on your feet and at heights. Able to lift and carry 50lbs.

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 :

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $90,000-$120,000 annually.

Catch up on the latest news about us :

Danish Military Using Robotic Sailboats for Surveillance in Baltic and North Seas – AP

USVs Guarding the Global Backbone – Inside Unmanned Systems

NATO Testing Baltic Sea Drones to Track Russian Warships, Freighters – Defense News

US Navy Saildrones On – SIGNAL Magazine

The British Engineer Behind the US Navy’s High-tech Ocean Drones – The Times of London

Counter-drug Sea Drones Utilized by Navy as Trump Ramps Up Military Resources at the Border – Fox News

Saildrone, Palantir Partner to Use AI to Streamline USV Manufacturing, Operations – Breaking Defense

An Underwater Mountain was Newly Discovered off California Coast – San Francisco Chronicle

TIME 100 Most Influential Companies 2024 : Saildrone

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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