Vehicle Assembly & Service Technician - Saildrone

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'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:

• A skilled technician that understands how to apply fundamentally sound mechanical and electrical skills in a field environment.
• Act with self-awareness and professionalism when interacting with Saildrone clients and colleagues.
• Passion for teaching and coaching others on how to perform technical procedures.
• Possess high standards for doing things the right way. Able to lead and hold others accountable for achieving that same standard.
• Ability to assess current processes and determine how they could improve to achieve increased safety, consistency, and efficiency. Desire to take ownership of and responsibility for the outcome of operational execution.
  
  

Required Skills and Experience

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

• Desire and ability to provide industry-defining customer service for both external customers and Saildrone colleagues.
• Ability to simplify technical concepts and product knowledge to teach and coach end-users on vehicle assembly and service.
• 5 or more years of experience executing operations involving the application of fundamentally sound electrical and mechanical skills while performing a technical service role in a field, shipyard, or heavy industrial environment, following service instructions/diagrams, using tools ranging from basic hand tools to heavy equipment and rigging.
• Ability to lead and work in teams, to include third-party contractors, to execute operational plans and deliver on contractual obligations.
• Maintain appropriate records and inventories.
• Possess organizational habits and a willingness to define, follow, and improve safety, process, and work standards.
• Willingness to support 50% travel, domestically and internationally. U.S. Person status and eligibility for U.S. Department of Defense security clearance is required for this role.

Desired Skills and Experience

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

• Prior experience planning, leading, and performing technically complex operations in the field for a global OEM servicing the automotive, aerospace, shipyard, offshore oil and gas, heavy civil/mining, renewable energy, or telecommunications industries.
• Prior experience in a fast-paced, start-up environment or an advanced serviceability/manufacturability of design role.
• Able to develop/create technical repair content to support global standardization and service documentation for safety, quality, and repeatability.
• Possess the ability to systematically isolate, diagnose, and repair issues on electro-mechanical systems in a marine environment.
• Personal or professional experience on or near water; familiar with rigging, mooring, and basic boat handling principles.
• Heavy equipment loading, shipping preparation, offloading, and relocation.
• Driving forklifts, lifting machines, and crane operation.
• Experience Driving 30+ ft twin-engine powerboat(s) with vehicles in tow, experience at sea.
  
  

Physical Requirements

• 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. 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.
• Enhanced Parental Leave Programs
• Competitive benefits including excellent medical, life insurance, 401k plan
  
  

Catch up on the latest news about us:

East Bay company Saildrone provided essential weather tool for Hurricane Milton - CBS News
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.

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