Vehicle Assembly & Service Technician

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  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’s autonomous surface vehicles operate for unprecedented periods of time in the most unforgiving environments on the planet. From inside of hurricanes to the frigid waters of the Arctic, the stresses they endure are immense. The technical execution of preparing the vehicles for their mission and servicing their constituent parts must be performed with a high degree of skill and consistency.

As a Vehicle Assembly & Service Technician, you will be responsible for constructing and servicing Saildrone vehicles as well as training and leading others to do the same. You will collaborate with a variety of teams in engineering, operations, and production. You will interact with clients and lead teams, both in the shop and around the world, to execute assembly and service operations.

You will help turn in-field realities into product improvements, serving as an important link between our end users and the teams at Saildrone who design our products.

• Lead the assembly and service workflows for Saildrone’s vehicle fleet, ensuring that our drones are fully mission capable and able to maintain exceptionally high uptime.
• Travel domestically and internationally to deploy and repair Saildrone vehicles.
• Train contractors, clients, and other third-parties on how to assemble and service Saildrone vehicles.
• Provide input on how to improve in-field assembly and service procedures as well as vehicle designs.

A top performer in this role will be highly motivated by and skilled in the following areas:

• A skilled technician that understands how to apply fundamentally sound mechanical and electrical skills in a field environment.
• Act with self-awareness and professionalism when interacting with Saildrone clients and colleagues.
• Passion for teaching and coaching others on how to perform technical procedures.
• Possess high standards for doing things the right way. Able to lead and hold others accountable for achieving that same standard.
• Ability to assess current processes and determine how they could improve to achieve increased safety, consistency, and efficiency.
• Desire to take ownership of and responsibility for the outcome of operational execution.

Skills that are necessary to executing the core functions of this role are listed below.

• Desire and ability to provide industry-defining customer service for both external customers and Saildrone colleagues.
• Ability to simplify technical concepts and product knowledge to teach and coach end-users on vehicle assembly and service.
• 5 or more years of experience executing operations involving the application of fundamentally sound electrical and mechanical skills while performing a technical service role in a field, shipyard, or heavy industrial environment, following service instructions/diagrams, using tools ranging from basic hand tools to heavy equipment and rigging.
• Ability to lead and work in teams, to include third-party contractors, to execute operational plans and deliver on contractual obligations.
• Maintain appropriate records and inventories. Possess organizational habits and a willingness to define, follow, and improve safety, process, and work standards.

• Prior…