Engineering Project Specialist

About Us At Saildrone, we sustainably explore, map, and monitor the oceans to understand, protect, and preserve our world. We provide real-time access to critical data from any ocean on earth, 24/7/365, and use proprietary software applications to transform that data into actionable insights and intelligence. Our fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), powered by renewable wind and solar power, have a minimal carbon footprint and operate without the need for a crewed support vessel.

Saildrone works with governments, civil agencies, foundations, universities, and private companies around the globe to drive better information about our oceans and seas—from sailing into the eye of a category 4 hurricane to obtain new data about how storms intensify, collecting new CO2 data in hard-to-reach areas, and counting fish biomass to inform sustainable fishery management, to mapping the ocean floor and reducing illegal fishing and drug trafficking. As a result of our work, we have been included on TIME’s List of the 100 Most Influential Companies in 2024, Fast Company’s list of the “World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2022,” and earned the Ocean Awards’ Innovation Award, presented by the Blue Marine Foundation. Saildrone’s hurricane mission was included as one of The New York Times’ “Top 21 Things that happened (for the first time) in 2021” and Popular Science’s “100 Greatest Innovations of 2021,” and entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for recording the “highest windspeed recorded by a USV.”

We are based in Alameda, CA, with offices in Washington DC and St. Petersburg, FL, and operate our missions worldwide. Saildrone is backed by top-tier investors in the frontier tech and sustainability sectors, including Social Capital, Capricorn, Lux Capital, BOND Capital, and Emerson Collective.

This is an exciting opportunity with a fast-growing team at the cutting-edge intersection of big data services and autonomous hardware. You will be an integral part of a high-performing multi-disciplinary team that delivers high impact for humanity and future generations.

The Role

Saildrone is seeking a highly organized and passionate individual to join our New Product Introduction (NPI) team. In this role, you will lead and participate in a wide variety of projects focused on ensuring the successful execution of new products and changes into production. The Saildrone team is made up of extremely talented, hardworking, proactive, and hands-on individuals, operating in a very fast-paced and rewarding environment. We are looking to expand this team with like-minded individuals looking to make a mark in the ocean data industry.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities:

• NPI/ECO Ownership: Collaborate with the Senior NPI Engineer to create, maintain, and process NPI related ECOs and sustaining ECOs that affect part changes throughout the lifecycle of products. Partner with Production, Manufacturing Engineering, and Supply Chain to schedule and drive NPI builds.
• Process Improvement: Play a fundamental role in establishing and maintaining processes that enable Saildrone to manage, track, and implement rapid change accurately and efficiently
• Risk Management: Identify potential project risks and develop mitigation strategies. Proactively address issues and obstacles to minimize impact on project timelines and deliverables
• Documentation and Reporting: Maintain comprehensive project documentation, including project plans, status reports, and technical specifications. Provide regular updates to management and stakeholders on project status and performance
• Technical Expertise: Utilize your technical knowledge to identify and resolve engineering challenges. Provide guidance and support to engineering teams, ensuring technical solutions meet project requirements and quality standards.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with key cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and effective communication throughout the project lifecycle. Facilitate meetings, track action items, and manage stakeholder expectations
• BOM Management: Work closely with Mechanical Engineering, Project Management, and Production to create, structure and release Bill of Materials (BOM) for development builds, including part numbers, engineering change orders, related technical drawings, and documents
• Project Management: Lead and coordinate engineering projects, defining project scope, goals, and deliverables. Develop detailed project plans and schedules, track progress, and adjust as necessary to ensure successful completion

Required Skills And Experience

• Education: BS/BA degree in Engineering, Project Management, Operations, or related field
• Minimum 3 years supporting hardware NPI
• Solid understanding of product development lifecycles
• Experience with hardware configuration management
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities
• Strong planning, organizational, analytical, problem-solving, interpersonal, decision-making, oral, and written communication skills
• Comfort with the ambiguity, rapid changes, and process evolution that comes in a start-up environment. The ability to create structure where none exists
• Detail-oriented with a strong attention to detail, capable of meticulously reviewing and managing complex information and ensuring precision in every aspect of the job

Desired Skills And Experience

• Experience in BOMs management
• Experience with PLM tools (TeamCenterX preferred)
• Proficiency in project management software and tools (Jira preferred)
• Able to quickly learn new software, and stay up-to-date with internal tools
• Hands-on experience with rapid prototyping tools and processes, including prototyping software (e.g., NX) and hardware (e.g., 3D printers, mills, lathes), to quickly develop and iterate on product designs
• Ability to read technical drawings and CAD to understand part design and intended assembly
• Experience with autonomous systems or oceanographic technology
• Driven to learn and solve problems, self starter

Physical Requirements

• Work requires the ability to be stationary for extended periods of time
• Work requires the ability to transverse the manufacturing facility multiple times a day.
• Work requires the following motions: bending, twisting, squatting and reaching
• Work includes physically moving and lifting packages as needed

Location: This position is in Alameda, CA. Our waterfront office offers beautiful views of San Francisco Bay in always sunny Alameda. Even our walls have good karma, our offices mix software development with a hardware production line in the former airplane hangar used to film ‘The Matrix’.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental and vision plans for you and your dependents.
• Short and relaxing ferry ride from the Ferry Building for SF residents
• Enhanced Parental Leave Programs
• Competitive benefits including excellent medical, life insurance, 401k plan

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $90,600-$113,200 annually.

Catch up on the latest news about us:

The Tiny Craft Mapping Superstorms at Sea – The New York Times

TIME 100 Most Influential Companies 2024: Saildrone

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

Hacking the Anthropocene with Survivalist Robots [VIDEO] – Freethink

An Unprecedented View Inside a Hurricane – EOS

Saildrone’s First Aluminum Surveyor Autonomous Vessel Splashes Down for Navy Testing – TechCrunch

USVs Could Deter IUU Fishing – USNI Proceedings

Saildrone Vehicles Track Whales around Offshore Wind Power – Workboat

Mullen, Former Joint Chiefs Chairman, to Lead Board for Unmanned Tech Firm Saildrone – Breaking Defense

The Navy Is Using Robot Ships to Deter Human Smuggling out of Haiti – Defense One

Saildrone’s Quiet Voyage: Autonomous Vehicle Aids Great Lakes Fish Stock Study – Up North Live

Saildrone Featured Videos Playlist

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

At Saildrone, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that a diverse and inclusive team leads to innovation and better problem-solving. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, disabilities, and backgrounds.

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.

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.

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.