Staff Mechanical Engineer - Platform Lead Naval Architect

THE POSITION

Saildrone is seeking a Staff Mechanical Engineer to join our Mechanical Design team. Reporting directly to the VP Hardware Engineering, you will play a critical role in leading the design, integration, and regulatory compliance of complex electro-mechanical systems for our uncrewed surface vehicles. We are looking for an ambitious technical leader who combines deep marine engineering expertise with proactive problem-solving to guide projects from early architecture to full-scale production.

THE TEAM

The Hardware Engineering team is responsible for designing, testing, and scaling our autonomous ocean platforms. We are focused on engineering mission-critical hardware and composite structures for high-impact ocean data collection, operating across defense, national security, and civil maritime environments.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ownership of the Vehicle System, interfaces to other Systems, and overall performance against the Program and Product requirements for a new start platform
• Responsibility for naval architecture within the Hardware Engineering organization, owning vehicle static (CG-CB) and dynamic (RAO’s) calculations and analysis, with oversight by regulatory agencies such as ABS and DNV
• Responsibility for vehicle developmental budget and cost performance, ensuring all subsystems are compliant and targeting cost reduction according to system cost plan
• Technical leadership at the vehicle system level, including overall responsibility for technical performance, implementation and adherence to design principals and tenets, sustainment of issue resolution activities, etc.
• Represent the vehicle system in leadership meetings, customer interfacing meetings, and wherever else appropriate
• Lead meetings across the vehicle team at the necessary cadences such as daily standup, sprint planning, retro, monthlies, all-hands etc.
• Interface directly with VP Hardware Engineering and other system leads on technical challenges and issue resolution
• Interface directly with peers across Production, Payloads, Mission Systems, Field Operations, Product Management, and Sustainment teams to align execution streams to product level schedule.
• Drive platform level trade studies across critical systems and subsystems to inform generational architectural updates and changes to the platform.
• Interpret and apply guidelines and requirements from Third Party Authorities (e.g., ABS, DNV GL, Bureau Veritas) to ensure full compliance with marine regulations.
• Partner closely with Shipyards and their Manufacturing Engineering and contract manufacturers to ensure smooth handoffs, design-for-manufacturability, and scalable production.
• Execute hands-on proof-of-concept prototyping and assembly utilizing basic fabrication skills to validate design concepts.
• Maintain drafting standards across the Hardware Engineering team while providing direct mentorship to junior engineers.
• Establish a culture of accountability, ownership, collaboration, and engineering excellence across the hardware group.
• BOM & Configuration Management: Be accountable for the total vehicle Bill of Materials across all sensor configurations, ensuring accuracy in part numbering, revision control, and assembly detailing.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Work closely with Electrical, Firmware, and NPI teams to align on PCBA enclosures, thermal cooling paths, and sensor mounting to ensure cohesive vehicle platforms.
• Design Validation: Monitor for mechanical risks through tolerance analysis, vibration testing, and thermal cycling, taking action to mitigate failures during long-duration ocean deployments.
• Prototyping & Manufacturability: Adhere to Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Serviceability standards, supporting pilot production builds to validate design requirements before full-scale production.
• Sustaining Engineering: Provide timely updates on field failures and technical blockers, leading root cause analysis and continuous improvement efforts for deployed systems.
• Organizational Scaling: Meet commitments to build a high-performing team by recruiting and mentoring talent, fostering a culture of technical polish, rapid iteration, and operational accountability.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Marine Engineering, or a related discipline (or equivalent field experience).
• 7+ years of industry experience with a strong emphasis on the Marine Industry, composite structures, and complex mechanisms.
• Extensive professional experience working as a project lead or manager driving execution across diverse engineering disciplines.
• Experience with projects, programs, or products transitioning from prototype design, prototype testing, new product introduction, and transition into production.
• Practical experience interpreting marine regulatory frameworks and third-party guidelines (ABS, DNV GL, Bureau Veritas).
• Proven track record of managing multiple successful product launches and working directly with fabrication shops and contract manufacturers.
• Hands-on fabrication and assembly skills for prototype build out and testing.
• Proactive problem-solving skills with experience acting as a technical lead and mentoring junior engineering talent.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Physical Strength & Agility: Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, push, pull, and lift up to 50 lbs during assembly and staging operations.
• Manual Precision: High manual dexterity to operate peripheral computer devices, hand tools, and mechanical testing equipment.
• Environmental Adaptability: Ability to perform work across office, hangar, and waterfront dock operational settings.