Mission Operations Engineer

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionising autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms for government and non-government customers. This role is likely to be based in the South East of the UK, but exact location will be advised.

Responsibilities

• How you support the mission
• Develop deep understanding of vehicle HW and SW architecture, and how the vehicle operates as a integrated system.
• Lead planning and execution of structured field tests for vessel performance pertaining to autonomous navigation, perception, communications, and sensor integration, among other vessel functionalities.
• Diagnose and perform real-time troubleshooting of autonomy, networking, and onboard hardware or software during test events.
• Implement solutions for testing, safety of vessel operations, and system robustness to maximize efficiency.
• Own data logging and telemetry monitoring systems; ensure data integrity for post-test analysis.
• Contribute to root cause analysis (RCCA) and issue triage workflows after field anomalies, with reporting to relevant review boards to eliminate repeat issues.
• Maintain autonomous vessels and test environments, including vessel and support craft operations, through the use of telemetry tools and onboard diagnostics to enhance reliability of all equipment and products.
• Ensure testing aligns with government performance, compliance, and safety standards when applicable.

• How you support the team
• Lead planning and execution of test cases to validate software updates, autonomy behaviors, and integrated system functionality.
• Interface with autonomy, software, hardware, and systems teams to translate product requirements into field-validated test objectives.
• Foster a collaborative and positive team environment, promoting open communication, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
• Develop test procedures, checklists, and safety protocols to support repeatable and safe vessel operation and overall mission execution while eliminating process waste.
• Create post-mission reports with detailed logs, data plots, issue summaries, and engineering feedback.

Qualifications

• Basic Qualifications
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
• 1+ years of hands-on engineering experience (design teams and previous internships qualify)

• Preferred Qualifications
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills (hardware/software) and ability to work effectively in challenging field conditions such as off-shore in open water
• Experience and knowledge of best practices in planning and execution of complex test operations involving autonomous systems
• Knowledge of networking protocols and communication systems used in autonomous vessels
• Systems engineering experience, ability to understand multi-disciplinary integrated systems
• Experience with sensor integration such as EO/IR, radar, IMU, and data processing
• Experience with integration and testing of multi-disciplinary integrated systems
• Experience with robotics, AI, or machine learning applications
• Familiarity with software development in Rust, Python, or other languages and CLI environment
• Familiarity with maritime operations
• Understanding of government requirements and standards for autonomous systems
• Experience working with embedded systems and real-time computing
• Job requires up to 50% travel.

Benefits:

• Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success
• Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses
• Medical Insurance: Comprehensive private health insurance
• Time Off: Generous PTO and Holidays
• Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents

Physical Demands

• Ability to certify as “fit for work” by demonstrating ability to swim and tread water
• Frequently and repetitively, lift, push and carry up to 75 lbs.
• Will be exposed to marine environments, including sun, wind, rain, cold, and saltwater spray, often for extended periods
• Must be able to operate in daylight, low-light, and night conditions using marine navigation systems and visual cues
• Ability to perform physically demanding work for extended periods of time, up to 12 hours/day
• The ability to carry 20 lbs. up and down stairs