About Us
With more than 2 million nautical miles sailed and 50,000 days at sea, Saildrone has earned the trust of governments worldwide. Our unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) deliver continuous, real-time intelligence in the toughest oceans on Earth—giving our partners faster awareness, stronger security, and a decisive edge at sea.
Our USVs are long-range, extreme-endurance platforms powered by advanced sensors and proprietary AI - they have been designed to operate where no crewed vessel can. They collect critical insights above and below the surface to support border security, law enforcement, naval operations, and undersea infrastructure protection.
Headquartered in Alameda, CA, with offices in Washington, DC, and global deployment hubs, Saildrone operates missions worldwide. Join a fast-moving, mission-driven team at the intersection of AI, autonomy, and defense technology—where data turns into intelligence, and intelligence drives action.
The Role
Saildrone is looking for a proactive IT Technical Support Engineer to join our corporate IT team. In this role you will collaborate and engage with all Saildrone employees and contractors to provide human-centric support and solutions to solve day to day dilemmas, inspire continuous improvement throughout the organization, and participate in contributing new efficiencies to enable the company to scale and meet the growing demands for the solutions our vehicles and services provide to help understand and protect our oceans.
The primary duties of the IT Technical Support Engineer role will be supporting internal end-users at all stages of their engagement with the company, starting with preparing for their first day by ensuring their accounts and hardware are ready for them on their first day, supporting them throughout their tenure, and helping wish them fair winds and following seas when they move on to their next adventure.
As a growing Defense Industrial Base contractor, it is imperative that Saildrone’s IT department be dynamic, flexible and creative. Saildrone moves quickly, and effectively supporting the company’s needs requires out of the box thinking while coloring within the lines of the regulatory frameworks which defense contractors must follow.
This position provides opportunity for growth with access to training, an annual professional development stipend, and opportunities to support and participate in projects covering all aspects of IT at Saildrone. As Saildrone grows, we hope you’ll grow with us.
Responsibilities
- Gracefully provide accurate technical support to on-site and remote users around the world
- Attentive ownership of assigned support tickets through consistent communication, responsible escalation, and informed hand-offs
- Participate in maintaining accurate equipment inventory
- Helpdesk on-call rotation
- Configure and deploy end-user systems
- User account on-boarding/off-boarding
- Lead end-user training and on-boarding sessions
- Follow known procedures with accuracy and consistency
- Demonstrate initiative and maintain a high degree of professional conduct at all times
- Seek opportunities to improve knowledge, skills, and performance
- Troubleshoot and support shared office systems such as printers and conference room AV systems
- Create and update documentation (internal and end-user facing)
- Collaborate with teammates to improve IT Department processes and procedures
- Thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
This role has the opportunity to interact with:
- Wired and wireless networking infrastructure
- Physical security and access control systems
- Palantir Foundry
- NetSuite
- CAD/Design Software (NX, AutoCAD, Altium)
- Product Lifecycle Management (Siemens Teamcenter X, Propel)
- Manufacturing Execution and Quality Management Systems
Required Skills and Experience
- Ability to work on-site, full-time at Saildrone’s headquarters in Alameda, CA
- Capable time management skills
- Methodical and accurate troubleshooting
- Clear written and verbal communication
- Ability to know when to escalate
- A passion for IT Technology and Service Delivery
- Friendly disposition and great sense of humor
- Loves working with and helping people
- Ability to lift up to 30 pounds
This role requires experience supporting or interacting with the following systems:
- MacOS/Windows/Ubuntu endpoints
- Apple and Android mobile devices
- Endpoint Management tools (JumpCloud)
- Identity Management tools (Okta)
- Productivity tools (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Atlassian, Smartsheet, Lucid)
- Communications and Collaboration tools (Slack, Zoom, Teams)
Desired Skills and Experience
- Applicants with the following skills will stand out from the crowd:
- Shell scripting/automation (BASH/Powershell/Python)
- DevOps/Infrastructure as Code
- Proven experience replacing manual processes with automations by leveraging available APIs
- A passion for documentation
- Exceptional attention to detail
- Familiarity with regulatory and compliance frameworks (NIST Cybersecurity Frameworks, ISO9001/ISO27001, SOX, SOC2)
- Current certifications from any vendor listed
- AWS Certifications
- Active study or current certifications relating to ITIL and Project Management
Location: This position is in Alameda, CA. Our waterfront office offers beautiful views of San Francisco Bay in always-sunny Alameda.
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.
Benefits:
- Paid time off, including vacation, bereavement, jury duty, sick time and parental leave
- Comprehensive and competitive medical, dental and vision plans, and HSA with employer matching.
- Company sponsored life insurance
- Stock Options
- Annual stipend for continued learning and development
- Quarterly company BBQs at our Alameda HQ (bring your friends and family!)
- Free Bay Area Public Transportation via AlamedaTMA with the BayPass Clipper Card
Individual compensation packages are based on geographic location, scope of the role, and relevant experience, among other factors.
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Top Skills
What We Do
Saildrone provides comprehensive turnkey data solutions for maritime security, ocean mapping, and ocean data. The company provides real-time access to critical data from any ocean on earth, 24/7/365, and uses proprietary software applications to transform that data into actionable insights and intelligence. Saildrone’s fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), powered by renewable wind and solar power, have a minimal carbon footprint and are designed to make ocean intelligence cost-effective at scale. Saildrones operate 24/7/365, without the need for a crewed support vehicle, and have sailed over 750,000 nautical miles from the Arctic to the Antarctic and spent more than 17,000 days at sea in the harshest ocean conditions on the planet.
