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
You will support the design, build, and maintenance of the software systems that support Saildrone’s bathymetry data collection and mapping workflows. This includes ingesting sonar data streams, transforming and storing large datasets, managing cloud-based data pipelines, and developing web applications that deliver high-quality geospatial products to internal and external users. The role spans the full stack — from connecting to sonar software data feeds, to processing point clouds and time series data, to creating APIs and interactive map displays. You will work closely with engineers and operators to ensure data is collected, processed, and visualized reliably and at scale. We’re looking for a flexible engineer with strong software fundamentals who can thrive in diverse technical domains, who is comfortable switching between backend services and frontend interfaces, and who can take ownership of complex workflows. A key aspect of this role is building redundancy across critical systems, ensuring that knowledge and capabilities are shared across the team.
This role is required to be onsite in Alameda, CA in the Bay Area 3 days per week - this is our hybrid model. This is not a remote position.
Required Skills and Experience
- 5–8 years of professional software development experience
- BA/BS in related field or equivalent experience
- Strong proficiency in Python for data processing, scripting, and APIs
- Proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript and ReactJS for frontend development
- Experience working with Linux environments (bash scripting, system services)
- Familiarity with sensor data integration via WebSockets, MQTT, or UDP packet streams
- Proficiency with AWS and other cloud services (S3, DataSync, CLI-based workflows)
- Experience with REST API development and integration
- Experience working with geospatial data formats and libraries (e.g., GDAL, GeoTIFF, XYZ point clouds)
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to own projects end-to-end
- Experience working with agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban)
Desired Skills and Experience
- Experience with time-series databases (InfluxDB preferred)
- Experience building map tiling/mosaic services (titiler, cogeo-mosaic, or similar)
- Experience with Google Maps and Mapbox integrations in web applications
- Knowledge of event-driven systems and streaming protocols (gRPC, Protobuf, WebSockets)
- Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Experience with data visualization libraries (Deck.gl, D3, WebGL)
- Interest in hydrography, ocean mapping, or geospatial sciences
Location: This position is hybrid in Alameda, CA (Onsite 3 days per week required). 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.
#LI-Hybrid
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.
