Electrical Engineering Manager

About Us

Saildrone is a defense company delivering maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance products to military, homeland security, and commercial customers. Saildrone unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) are extreme-endurance platforms equipped with advanced sensors and proprietary AI to provide persistent insights above and below the sea surface. Insights that support border security, law enforcement, undersea infrastructure protection, hydrography, and naval power applications. With more than 2,000,000 nautical miles sailed and 50,000 days at sea, Saildrone USVs are trusted by governments across the planet and set the standard for cost-efficient maritime intelligence in the world's harshest environments.

We are based in Alameda, CA, with offices in Washington DC and St. Petersburg, FL, and operate missions worldwide. This is an exciting opportunity with a fast-growing team at the cutting-edge intersection of big data services, autonomy, and AI. You will be part of a high-performing, multidisciplinary team delivering data, intelligence, and firepower for strategic superiority.

The Role

The Electrical Engineering Manager will lead Saildrone’s electrical engineering team, responsible for the design, development, and integration of electrical systems for Saildrone’s autonomous surface vehicles. These systems include power generation and distribution, control electronics, PCB design, wiring harnesses, and integration with compute, payload, and communications systems. Reporting directly to the Head of Engineering, this role will provide technical leadership to ensure delivery of reliable, efficient, and mission-ready electrical systems. This role is responsible for driving execution for all electrical aspects of the technical roadmap, ensuring high performance and innovation within the EE group, enforcing quality and compliance with relevant electrical and marine standards, while enabling close collaboration and seamless touch points with Mechanical, Firmware, and Software teams. The ideal candidate will bring extensive experience in electrical engineering and PCBA design. Proven leadership skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment, ideally within the defense, aerospace, or maritime sectors.

Responsibilities

Electrical Engineering Leadership

• Lead and mentor the electrical engineering team, fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and accountability.
• Own the vehicle electrical architecture, ensuring performance, reliability, manufacturability, and scalability.
• Provide technical oversight across all electrical design and integration projects.
• Set clear priorities and goals that align with higher level company objectives.
  
  

System Design & Development

• Oversee the design, simulation, and validation of electrical systems including PCBAs, power systems, wiring harnesses, control electronics and integration of third party sensors or equipment.
• Ensure all designs meet electrical performance, safety, environmental, and compliance requirements for maritime and defense use.
• Collaborate with firmware, hardware, and systems teams to ensure smooth integration.
• Participate in design reviews and provide feedback

Technical Execution & Delivery

• Translate program, executive, and mission goals into actionable electrical engineering workflows.
• Manage schedules, resources, and deliverables to ensure timely, high-quality outputs.
• Implement rigorous testing, validation, and quality assurance processes for electrical hardware and software.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Firmware, Mechanical, Technical Program Management, Quality, and Manufacturing teams to ensure designs satisfy overall vehicle requirements.
• Manage engineering support for field operations, troubleshooting, and failure analysis for deployed systems.
• Promote effective communication across departments to align technical work with strategic objectives.

Compliance & Standards

• Ensure compliance with relevant defense, maritime, and electrical safety standards, such as: IPC, MIL-STD, UL, IEEE, ABYC, and ABS.
• Maintain documentation, configuration control, and revision tracking for all designs.

Talent Development

• Recruit, retain, and develop top-tier electrical engineering talent.
• Provide career development, coaching, and performance management for team members.

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in electrical engineering, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven expertise in PCBA design, power systems, analog and digital circuits, wiring harness development, and integration with embedded systems.
• Knowledge of both AC and DC power generation, control, and distribution systems.
• Experience with serial, CAN, and ethernet communication protocols.
• Experience in grounding, shielding and design for low EMI environments.
• Experience in maritime, aerospace, or defense applications is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of IPC, MIL-STD, UL, ABS, DNVGL, and other applicable standards.
• Proficiency with electrical CAD (Altium preferable) and simulation tools.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills for complex electrical systems.
• Familiarity with 1-line drawings and industry standard harness drawings.
• Experience managing engineering teams in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Excellent leadership, mentorship, communication, and organizational skills.
• Experience in transitioning electronic hardware from prototype to scalable production in moderate volumes.
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to stand, walk, use hands to grasp, push and pull, bend, lift up to 50 lbs, and reach with your hands and arms. Must be able to perform work on a computer that requires ability to operate a keyboard and other peripheral device
  
  

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
• Plenty of snacks in our 3 office locations
• Dog-friendly work environment

Catch up on the latest news about us:

The British Engineer Behind the US Navy’s High-tech Ocean Drones – The Times of London

Denmark to Field Unmanned Vessels for Monitoring Busy Shipping Routes – Defense News

Counter-drug Sea Drones Utilized by Navy as Trump Ramps Up Military Resources at the Border

Saildrone, Palantir Partner to Use AI to Streamline USV Manufacturing, Operations – Breaking Defense

An Underwater Mountain was Newly Discovered off California Coast – San Francisco Chronicle

USVs Could Deter IUU Fishing – USNI Proceedings

TIME 100 Most Influential Companies 2024: Saildrone

Saildrone Featured Videos Playlist

Individual compensation packages are based on geographic location, scope of the role, relevant experience, and the ability to deal with complexity and problem solve within our organization, among other factors.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Any unsolicited resumes/candidate profiles submitted through our website or to personal email accounts of employees of Saildrone are considered property of Saildrone and are not subject to payment of agency fees.

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