Description

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, enhance, and maintain production-grade C++ software running onboard Saildrone's autonomous maritime vessels.
• Integrate sensors and physical vehicle subsystems, including power systems, battery management, propulsion, and control systems.
• Troubleshoot complex software and hardware issues using telemetry data, system logs, test benches, and direct investigation.
• Develop, test, and deploy software fixes across a fleet of approximately 100 active autonomous vessels.
• Support the integration of new sensors, hardware components, and mission-specific capabilities.
• Develop and maintain software supporting vehicle configuration, deployment, upgrades, and migration across the fleet.
• Validate software and hardware integrations on actual vehicles to improve system reliability and operational performance.
• Diagnose and resolve issues affecting deployed vehicles operating in challenging real-world environments.
• Collaborate closely with vehicle software infrastructure engineers and hardware engineering teams to ensure reliable end-to-end system performance.
• Improve software reliability, maintainability, and operational readiness across deployed autonomous systems.

Required Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional software engineering experience, with strong hands-on C++ development skills.
• Experience developing and deploying production software that runs on physical hardware.
• Experience working with embedded systems, robotics, autonomous vehicles, or other hardware-integrated products.
• Hands-on experience integrating sensors, actuators, control systems, or physical hardware subsystems with software.
• Experience testing, deploying, maintaining, and debugging software on embedded systems, robots, or physical products.
• Strong troubleshooting skills, including analyzing system logs, interpreting telemetry, reproducing issues, and identifying root causes.
• Experience validating software and hardware integrations in development, testing, or production environments.
• Ability to work onsite in Alameda, California, three days per week.
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• Preferred Qualifications
• Experience in robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, defense, maritime technology, or other mission-critical engineering environments.
• Experience with embedded Linux and real-time operating systems (RTOS).
• Familiarity with hardware bring-up, device integration, and low-level system debugging.
• Experience with vehicle communication protocols and onboard control systems.
• Experience supporting software deployed across an active fleet of vehicles or distributed physical systems.
• Experience working with battery management, propulsion systems, power electronics, or advanced sensor suites.
• Experience developing software for products operating in demanding outdoor or industrial environments

Key Skills

Education

Bachelor's degree