Vice President, Mission Execution

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.

Role

Saildrone is seeking a Vice President of Fleet Operations to join our Operations organization. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, you will play a critical role in leading the global management of our uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) and scaling global operations to support revenue growth and customer outcomes. The Vice President of Fleet Operations is responsible for the end-to-end readiness of the entire Saildrone fleet, from commissioning of new vehicles, launch & deployment of customer missions, through 24/7 overwatch and field service keeping vehicles operating in some of the most challenging locations. We are looking for a senior operational leader who creates clarity from complexity and drives execution in high-stakes environments to deliver reliable results at global scale.

Team

The Fleet Operations organization is responsible for the planning, deployment, and real-time operation of Saildrone’s global USV fleet. We focus on delivering safe, reliable, and scalable maritime operations to support critical missions across defense, security, and commercial applications. This team operates in a 24/7, globally distributed environment, working closely with Fleet Managers, Technical Engineering Operations, Logistics, Shore Operations, Field Service, and Commissioning teams to ensure mission readiness, operational excellence, and continuous improvement

Responsibilities

• Fleet Strategy & Performance Ownership: Be accountable for fleet utilization, sizing, and commissioning, including ownership of uptime, MTTR, cost efficiency, & utilization rates. Critical KPI’s include drone utilization, uptime, readiness, cost of service, and general operating costs of labor.

• Customer & Cross-Functional Alignment: Work closely with Customer Success & Program Management teams to deliver contracted missions on time, within budget, and to defined performance and quality standards.

• Operational Systems & Processes: Carry out day-to-day operations through the technical operations, shore operations, logistics, and field service systems to meet responsiveness, return-to-mission, and operational readiness targets.

• Risk, Escalation & Incident Management: Monitor for operational, technical, and regulatory risks; mitigate incidents, manage escalation paths, and resolve critical mission blockers to minimize downtime, safety exposure, and customer impact. Manage global support operations for 24/7 service & overwatch.

• Safety, Compliance & Standardization: Establish and enforce safety protocols, regulatory compliance (including maritime and export controls), and standardized operational practices to improve safety outcomes, reliability, and scalability across global operations. Establish standard operating footprints across international site locations.

• Operational Intelligence & Reporting: Provide timely updates on fleet performance, mission feasibility, capacity constraints, utilization forecasts, and customer delivery metrics to executive leadership to support strategic planning and resource allocation.

• Organizational Leadership & Capability Building: Build and lead global teams to achieve operational performance targets, including improvements in uptime, responsiveness, cost efficiency, and customer satisfaction, while scaling mission execution in line with revenue growth.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in maritime, defense, aerospace, robotics, or complex technical operations, performing leadership roles in mission-critical environments.

• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale technical fleets or systems, including commissioning, lifecycle management, and operational scaling against defined performance metrics.

• Proven ability to optimize operational performance, manage budgets or P&L, and deliver measurable improvements in uptime, cost, and mission outcomes.

• Strong understanding of maritime systems, vehicle lifecycle management, logistics, and operational technologies across design, manufacturing, deployment, and service.

• Proven ability to analyze complex operational challenges, manage escalations, and make high-impact decisions in ambiguous, time-critical situations.

• Ability to clearly communicate technical, operational, and strategic information to cross-functional teams, executive stakeholders, and customer-facing partners.

• Ability to lead global, 24/7 operational teams and operate effectively in high-risk, safety-critical, and geographically distributed environments.

• Working knowledge of maritime regulations, safety standards, and compliance requirements, including familiarity with seamanship, port operations, and international logistics.

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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