Quality Engineer

About Us

At Saildrone, we sustainably explore, map, and monitor the oceans to understand, protect, and preserve our world. We provide real-time access to critical data from any ocean on earth, 24/7/365, and use proprietary software applications to transform that data into actionable insights and intelligence. Our fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), powered by renewable wind and solar power, have a minimal carbon footprint and operate without the need for a crewed support vessel.

Saildrone works with governments, civil agencies, foundations, universities, and private companies around the globe to drive better information about our oceans and seas—from sailing into the eye of a category 4 hurricane to obtain new data about how storms intensify, collecting new CO2 data in hard-to-reach areas, and counting fish biomass to inform sustainable fishery management, to mapping the ocean floor and reducing illegal fishing and drug trafficking. As a result of our work, we have been included on TIME's List of the 100 Most Influential Companies in 2024, Fast Company’s list of the "World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2022," and earned the Ocean Awards’ Innovation Award, presented by the Blue Marine Foundation. Saildrone's hurricane mission was included as one of The New York Times' "Top 21 Things that happened (for the first time) in 2021" and Popular Science's "100 Greatest Innovations of 2021," and entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for recording the "highest windspeed recorded by a USV."

We are based in Alameda, CA, with offices in Washington DC and St. Petersburg, FL, and operate our missions worldwide. Saildrone is backed by top-tier investors in the frontier tech and sustainability sectors, including Social Capital, Capricorn, Lux Capital, BOND Capital, and Emerson Collective.

This is an exciting opportunity with a fast-growing team at the cutting-edge intersection of big data services and autonomous hardware. You will be an integral part of a high-performing multi-disciplinary team that delivers high impact for humanity and future generations.

The Role

Saildrone is seeking a highly organized and passionate individual to join our quality engineering team. Reporting to the Manager, Quality Programs, the quality engineer will lead and participate in a wide variety of initiatives to ensure high product reliability and performance. This individual will play a key role in ensuring the world-class performance of the Saildrone’s autonomous surface vehicle and its production supply base. The ideal candidate will be intrinsically motivated, customer focused, detailed, team-oriented and have a drive for continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

In this role you will:

• Perform problem solving activities through data analysis of quality issues by prioritizing top issues, conducting root cause investigation, developing and implementing preventive & corrective actions with cross-functional teams
• Lead and maintain PFMEA & Control Plans to determine potential risks and assure how to control them, such as implementing Quality Alerts for visual inspection in quality audits
• Lead Containment activity of non-conforming material by providing instructions on how to review and dispose material
• Hold MRB(Material Review Board) meetings with key stakeholders to determine the disposition of on-hand units in quarantine
• Resolve nonconformance and documentation issues, support Quality Management System policies and procedure documentation, assesses compliance to company and industry standards, and participate in continual improvement initiatives
• Play a fundamental role in establishing procedures and processes that will allow Saildrone to align with the international standards for Quality Systems
  
  

Required Skills and Experience

• BS/BA degree in a technical field or equivalent years of experience
• 2+ years of experience building quality systems and processes for enterprise or consumer products
• Ability to read technical drawings and CAD to understand part design and intended assembly
• Background in MRB and NCMR handling along with driving SCARs & CAPAs to resolution
• You must be a problem-solver at your core, have a strong quality & customer-focused mindset, and have an intrinsic drive & stamina for relentless, continual improvement.
• Demonstrated application of process validation and control methods such as PFMEA, design of experiments (DOE), and statistical process control (SPC)
• Familiarity with implementing QMS standards such as AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 14001
• Ability to clearly distill actionable insights and support hypothesis with data
• Strong planning, organizational, analytical, negotiation, interpersonal, decision-making, oral, and written communication skills
• Comfort with the ambiguity, rapid changes, and process evolution that comes in a start-up environment. The ability to create structure where none exists.
  
  

Bonus Qualifications

• OEM or T1 automotive, aerospace, maritime, or defense contractor experience
• IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, and/or IPC-620 certification
• Lead Auditor Certification (ISO/AS)
• Six Sigma Green Belt
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Work requires the ability to be stationary for extended periods of time
• Work requires the ability to transverse the manufacturing facility multiple times a day.
• Work requires the following motions: bending, twisting, squatting and reaching
  
  

Location: This position is in Alameda, CA. Our waterfront office offers beautiful views of San Francisco Bay in always sunny Alameda. Even our walls have good karma, our offices mix software development with a hardware production line in the former airplane hangar used to film 'The Matrix'.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental and vision plans for you and your dependents.
• Short and relaxing ferry ride from the Ferry Building for SF residents
• Enhanced Parental Leave Programs
• Competitive benefits including excellent medical, life insurance, 401k plan
  
  

Catch up on the latest news about us:

The Tiny Craft Mapping Superstorms at Sea – The New York Times
TIME 100 Most Influential Companies 2024: Saildrone
An Underwater Mountain was Newly Discovered off California Coast – San Francisco Chronicle
Hacking the Anthropocene with Survivalist Robots [VIDEO] – Freethink
An Unprecedented View Inside a Hurricane – EOS
Saildrone’s First Aluminum Surveyor Autonomous Vessel Splashes Down for Navy Testing – TechCrunch
USVs Could Deter IUU Fishing – USNI Proceedings
Saildrone Vehicles Track Whales around Offshore Wind Power – Workboat
Mullen, Former Joint Chiefs Chairman, to Lead Board for Unmanned Tech Firm Saildrone – Breaking Defense
The Navy Is Using Robot Ships to Deter Human Smuggling out of Haiti – Defense One
Saildrone's Quiet Voyage: Autonomous Vehicle Aids Great Lakes Fish Stock Study – Up North Live
Saildrone Featured Videos Playlist

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

At Saildrone, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that a diverse and inclusive team leads to innovation and better problem-solving. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, disabilities, and backgrounds.

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.

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.

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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