Mission Manager

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.

Saildrone is seeking qualified Mission Managers to join the team at Saildrone, HQ in Alameda CA. The Saildrone Mission Controller’s primary responsibilities are to plan the operational on-the-water aspects of a diverse set of missions. Monitoring vehicle performance and vehicle health, communicating both internally and externally in service to our customers. Mission Managers are positioned at a crucial crossroads in the organization, communicating mission objectives and technical expertise and to several stakeholders.

Candidates can expect their day to day work to be spent on the forefront of industry leading autonomous vehicle operations worldwide.

Mission Readiness

• Assess mission feasibility in partnership with Program Delivery and Sales teams
• Saildrone POC for local maritime authorities, Coast Guard, Vessel Traffic, & Port captains.
• Manage Reserves and Sanctuaries access permissions and special reporting.
• Assist customers with routing suggestions to optimize mission outcomes
• Manage customer communications on Saildrone’s mission portal, routing and concept of operations (CONOPS), and connecting technical issues to internal SMEs
• Participate in regular customer meetings and provide customer training when appropriate
• Actively develop and refine process documentation integral to Mission Control operations

Fleet Execution

• Coordinate with the Fleet Captains across Surveyor, Voyager, and Explorer fleets related to mission readiness, drone allocation, deployments, & recoveries.
• Liaise with Technical Operations teams to ensure mission readiness and support troubleshooting of drone issues on mission.
• Oversee the daily mission drone operations, coordinating with drone operators (pilots) and program managers to ensure consistent operations and customer support.
• Passage planning, regional weather watch, global maritime operations
• Monitor the health of the drone fleet, and provide updates and feedback to external and internal stakeholders
• Manage timelines and provide mission status updates regarding on-the-water operations to all relevant parties
• Communicate daily mission objectives to enable successful piloting and tasking 24/7/365

Cross Functional

• Partner with Product team to develop and support road mapping for continuous improvements to user interfaces
• Provide feedback to internal teams regarding drone performance and health issues to support quality
• Partner with R&D teams to develop and execute test plans for new products and features

• Deep understanding of maritime operations, including navigation, COLREGS and safety procedures
• Experience with in Command and Control Center environments
• Detail-oriented with a disciplined approach to communications, processes, and projects
• Possess excellent oral and written communication skills
• Able to interact with multiple audiences, including governmental agency leadership, senior executives and engineers.
• Interest and passion for new technology, Maritime Awareness, Ocean Mapping, and Ocean Data

• Significant time on ships, standing on-bridge watches
• 5-10 years of experience leading teams in a maritime environment.
• Demonstrated record of success translating and prioritizing…