Company
Saildrone
Annual salary
$144k – $300k/yr
Location
Alameda, CA
Listed
8d ago
- Experience:
- 3 to 5 years
- Workplace:
- Hybrid role based in Alameda, CA, 3 days per week in office, 2 days remote. The office is on the waterfront where Saildrone manufactures and launches its autonomous vessels. No relocation support available; candidates must be local or willing to self-relocate.
- Equity:
- <p><strong>Competitive equity grants</strong> are a core part of Saildrone's compensation package, allowing you to participate in the long-term value you help create. Saildrone is a Series D+ funded maritime defense company backed by investors including Lockheed Martin, Lux Capital, and Tribe Capital, with <strong>$299.5M in total funding raised</strong> (including a recent $50M corporate round from Lockheed Martin in 2025). Equity is included at every level and scales with seniority.</p>
Hybrid in Alameda, CA.
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What you'll do
- Develop and maintain production C++ software running onboard Saildrone's autonomous maritime vessels
- Integrate sensors and physical vehicle subsystems (power, battery management, propulsion, control systems) into the onboard software stack
- Diagnose and troubleshoot complex vehicle and software issues using telemetry, logs, test benches, and direct system investigation, then develop and deploy fixes across the active fleet
- Support new sensor integration and mission capability expansion as customer requirements evolve
- Develop software supporting vehicle configuration, deployment, upgrades, and migration across a fleet of ~100 active vessels operating globally
- Validate software and hardware integrations on real vehicles and improve reliability in field operations
- Work closely with the Vehicle Software Infrastructure team and hardware engineers to ensure end-to-end system performance
What you need
- We need a hands-on C++ engineer with 4+ years of experience building software that runs on physical hardware, someone who's worked at the boundary of software and hardware on robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or defense systems. You should be comfortable integrating sensors and vehicle subsystems, debugging complex issues using telemetry and logs, and deploying software to real products operating in the field. Bonus points if you've supported an active fleet of deployed vehicles or have experience with embedded Linux and real-time operating systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for the Vehicle Software Engineer (US) role at Saildrone? +
Use the Apply for a referral button on this page to send us your LinkedIn and CV. If your experience fits, we'll introduce you to the recruiter filling this role. They'll email you to check you're interested, then put you forward for this job or others that suit you better. It's free.
What does this Saildrone role pay? +
The listing gives $144k – $300k/yr.
Is this role remote? +
The listing gives the location as Alameda, CA. Hybrid role based in Alameda, CA, 3 days per week in office, 2 days remote. The office is on the waterfront where Saildrone manufactures and launches its autonomous vessels. No relocation support available; candidates must be local or willing to self-relocate.
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