Automation & Autonomy Systems Engineer

We are an early‑stage, maritime defense technology startup backed by top tier investors. Our team is designing and building autonomous and highly producible ships that can serve multiple missions on the open ocean.

We are seeking a Systems Engineer to develop automation and autonomy systems for our autonomous vessel platform. You will define system boundaries, interfaces, data flows, operational modes/states, and safety concepts; translate mission needs into requirements; lead system design and hardware selection; partner with the software/autonomy team to architect control, safety, and data pipelines; and lead integration activities including HIL testing, ship bring‑up, and final end‑to‑end performance testing of the complete system.

This position is based at our Lexington office and will contribute across architecture, design, and hands‑on integration as part of the hardware and systems team. You’ll ensure configurations, performance, and system‑level behavior are validated during integration and sea trials, while establishing clear, practical systems engineering artifacts and processes.

• Define and maintain the system architecture: interfaces, ICDs, data flows, timing/synchronization, states/modes, and safety concepts.
• Author and maintain the CONOPS and operational scenarios; derive, decompose, and trace requirements to subsystems and verification methods.
• Perform failure analysis (FMEA/FTA/HAZOP/STPA) and design safety mechanisms: interlocks, watchdogs, redundancy, degraded modes, and rollback procedures.
• Lead hardware selection and trade studies for sensors, actuators, controllers, networking, compute, and safety equipment; document rationale and constraints.
• Partner with software, autonomy, and marine engineering to design control loops, communication topics (DDS/ROS2), QoS, timing, and fault handling; align interfaces and test hooks.
• Plan and lead HIL testing: design benches/simulators, implement fault injection, define acceptance criteria, and automate regression where practical.
• Lead integrated system bring‑up on the vessel; execute test procedures, collect/synchronize telemetry, analyze performance, and drive corrective actions.
• Establish configuration baselines and change control for system interfaces and software/hardware revisions.
• Produce clear systems engineering artifacts: architecture diagrams, ICDs, requirements, verification plans, test procedures, and evidence reports.
• Collaborate with operations to ensure safe procedures for lab and sea trials; support demos with customers and stakeholders.

• Hands‑on systems engineer for robotics/autonomy or complex electro‑mechanical products; comfortable moving between architecture and on‑ship integration.
• Experienced with automation and control systems, safety systems, and systems‑of‑systems engineering.
• Able to write and manage CONOPS, requirements, ICDs, and verification plans with traceability.
• Proficient in failure analysis methods (FMEA, FTA, HAZOP, STPA) and designing practical mitigations.
• Fluent with sensors/actuators, embedded controllers, CAN/CAN‑FD, Ethernet, switch configuration, time‑sensitive networking, and time sync (PTP/NTP).
• Experienced planning/executing HIL, integration, and reproducible regression tests; strong in data collection and post‑test analysis.
• Organized and pragmatic; balances scope/schedule while protecting system safety and test integrity.
• You have 7+ years of relevant experience across hardware and software systems; prior autonomy/robotics/maritime/defense/aerospace experience is highly valued.

• MBSE/SysML/UML and requirements tools (Cameo, Enterprise Architect, DOORS/Jama).
• ROS2/DDS expertise, QoS configuration, and real‑time middleware design.
• Safety/functional standards familiarity (IEC 61508 or maritime equivalents); experience preparing compliance artifacts.
• Test automation for HIL and CI; simulators (Gazebo/Ignition) or custom benches for fault injection.
• Time sync and telemetry pipelines; log analysis tooling and dashboards.
• Experience leading sea trial test events and integrated system acceptance.

• Incredibly high-caliber teammates - you’ll work directly with our co-founders and technical leads
• A mission‑driven environment designing technology that protects American lives and democracy
• Significant ownership and influence over how reliability and quality are built at scale
• A fast‑paced, creative culture that values clarity, teamwork, and decisive execution
• Equal opportunity employer. All hiring is contingent on eligibility to work in the U.S.; we are unable to sponsor or transfer visas

• Salary Range: $150,000-$190,000 annual base salary
• Startup equity options
• Health, dental, vision, PTO
• Final compensation will depend on experience and skill level