Vehicle Software Engineer

Saildrone is a maritime defense company and the global leader in autonomous unmanned surface vehicles. With more ocean miles and real-world operational experience than any USV manufacturer or operator, Saildrone maintains active, combat-deployed systems supporting national security and force projection around the world, 24/7/365.

Saildrone’s manufacturing and R&D headquarters are located in Alameda, CA, with business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs in Europe and the Middle East. By combining proven autonomous operations, edge computing, advanced sensing, renewable power, and the most advanced unmanned surface technology on the planet, Saildrone is shaping how the Navy of the future operates.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Saildrone’s autonomous vessels depend on software that directly interfaces with the physical vehicle: sensors, onboard computers, power systems, and control systems. As a Vehicle Software Engineer, you will develop the production C++ software that integrates these systems and keeps autonomous vessels operating reliably in the real world.

This is a hands-on systems role at the boundary of software and hardware. You will work from sensor and subsystem integration through testing, deployment, and field troubleshooting, with the opportunity to solve problems on autonomous vehicles operating for extended periods far from human operators.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Develop and maintain production C++ software running onboard autonomous vessels
• Integrate sensors and physical vehicle subsystems into the onboard software stack
• Interface with power, battery-management, propulsion, and other vehicle control systems
• Diagnose complex vehicle and software issues using telemetry, logs, testing, and direct system investigation
• Develop software supporting vehicle configuration, deployment, upgrades, and migration across the fleet
• Validate software and hardware integrations on real vehicles and improve their reliability in field operations

YOU SHOULD HAVE

• Strong C++ software engineering skills and experience building production systems
• Strong systems understanding and comfort working across software and hardware boundaries
• Experience developing software that interfaces with sensors, actuators, or other physical systems
• Experience debugging complex systems using logs, telemetry, test data, and system behavior
• Experience deploying and maintaining software on physical products or other systems operating in the field
• Ability to understand and reason about interactions between software, hardware, and larger system behavior

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, defense, maritime, industrial systems, or other complex physical products
• Experience with embedded Linux, real-time systems, hardware bring-up, or vehicle communications
• Experience with remote software deployment, configuration management, or fleet diagnostics

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Base Salary: $144,500 – $300,000, depending on experience

Saildrone offers competitive paid time off, a robust holiday schedule, and paid sick leave. Benefits include premium medical, dental, and vision coverage with significant company contributions for employees and dependents, equity grants, a 401(k) retirement plan, annual professional development reimbursement, and relocation assistance for eligible roles.