Mission Operations Engineer (Program)

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms.

JOB OVERVIEW

As a Mission Operations Engineer, you will be hands-on with the deployment, validation, and iterative improvement of our autonomous surface vessels. You will be a member of the Integrity & Performance element, the focused execution arm for high-priority validation efforts that strengthen product confidence, improve capability performance, and increase reliability. Your work will directly support both project-based deliverables (e.g., capability rollouts) and ongoing programs (e.g., V1 software release).

This role spans the Joint Operations Center (JOC) - our centralized watch floor for monitoring, command and control, and real-time technical support of distributed vessel operations. You will split time between hands-on field execution and standing watch in the JOC, where you serve as the remote technical authority for teams operating around the world. You will also help build the JOC itself: the tooling, procedures, and escalation paths that make sustained autonomous operations repeatable.

You are able to meet deadlines and achieve desired outcomes as both an individual contributor and as a part of your team.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

How you support the mission

- Develop deep understanding of vehicle HW and SW architecture, and how the vehicle operates as an integrated system.

- Lead planning and execution of structured field tests for vessel performance pertaining to autonomous navigation, perception, communications, and sensor integration, among other vessel functionalities.

- Diagnose and perform real-time troubleshooting of autonomy, networking, and onboard hardware or software during test events.

- Stand watch in the Joint Operations Center, maintaining situational awareness across concurrent vessel operations through live telemetry, video, and C2 feeds; detect, characterize, and escalate anomalies before they become mission-impacting.

- Serve as the remote technical authority during live operations — triage autonomy, networking, and HW/SW faults from the JOC and direct afloat and shoreside teams to resolution under time pressure and degraded comms.

- Support JOC watch rotations, including nights, weekends, and on-call coverage during test campaigns and customer operations; execute disciplined shift handovers and maintain accurate watch and event logs.

- Implement solutions for testing, safety of vessel operations, and system robustness to maximize efficiency.

- Own data logging and telemetry monitoring systems; ensure data integrity for post-test analysis.

- Contribute to root cause corrective action (RCCA) and issue triage workflows after field anomalies, with reporting to relevant review boards to eliminate repeat issues.

- Support day-to-day operation of autonomous vessels and support craft, using telemetry and onboard diagnostics to diagnose issues and improve reliability.

- Ensure testing aligns with DoD performance, compliance, and safety standards when applicable.

How you support the team

- Lead planning and execution of test cases to validate software updates, autonomy behaviors, and integrated system functionality.

- Interface with autonomy, software, hardware, and systems teams to translate product requirements into field-validated test objectives.

- Help stand up and mature the JOC: telemetry and C2 dashboards, alerting thresholds, comms architecture, standard operating procedures, escalation matrices, and after-action reporting formats.

- Lead after-action reviews for JOC-observed events, converting watch-floor observations into RCCA inputs and durable product feedback.

- Foster a collaborative and positive team environment, promoting open communication, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.

- Develop test procedures, checklists, and safety protocols to support repeatable and safe vessel operation and overall mission execution while eliminating process waste.

- Create post-mission reports with detailed logs, data plots, issue summaries, and engineering feedback.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field

- 1+ years of hands-on engineering experience (design teams and previous internships qualify)

- Willingness to support a watch rotation, including nights, weekends, and on-call periods during active operations

- Up to 50% travel (moved it up from Preferred Qualifications)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills (HW/SW) and ability to work effectively in challenging field conditions such as off-shore in open water

- Experience and knowledge of best practices in planning and execution of complex test operations involving autonomous systems

- Experience in an operations center, watch floor, mission control, TOC, or NOC environment - including shift handover discipline, event logging, and escalation under time pressure

- Familiarity with C2 and telemetry visualization tooling (e.g., Grafana, Nominal, Foxglove, ROS-based tooling) and building operator-facing dashboards or alerting

- Knowledge of networking protocols and communication systems used in autonomous vessels

- Experience operating over constrained or contested links (SATCOM, LTE, RF mesh) and troubleshooting remotely through intermittent connectivity

- Systems engineering experience, ability to understand multi-disciplinary integrated systems

- Experience with sensor integration such as EO/IR, radar, IMU, and data processing

- Experience with integration and testing of multi-disciplinary integrated systems

- Experience with robotics, AI, or machine learning applications

- Familiarity with software development in Rust, Python, or other languages and CLI environment

- Familiarity with maritime operations

- Understanding of DoD requirements and standards for autonomous systems

- Experience working with embedded systems and real-time computing

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

- Ability to certify as “fit for work” by demonstrating ability to swim and tread water

- Frequently and repetitively, lift, push and carry up to 75 lbs.

- Will be exposed to marine environments, including sun, wind, rain, cold, and saltwater spray, often for extended periods

- Must be able to operate in daylight, low-light, and night conditions using marine navigation systems and visual cues

- Ability to perform physically demanding work for extended periods of time, up to 12 hours/day

- The ability to carry 20 lbs. up and down stairs

BENEFITS

- Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans covering a range of services

- Saronic pays 100% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents

- Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage for routine dental check-ups, orthodontics, and vision care

- Saronic pays 100% of the premium under the basic plan for employees and 80% for dependents

- Time Off: Generous PTO and Holidays

- Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents

- Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses

- Retirement Plan: 401(k) plan with company match

- Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success

- Life and Disability Insurance: Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage

- Pet Insurance: Discounted pet insurance options including 24/7 Telehealth helpline

- Additional Perks: Free lunch benefit and unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office

If this role is based in the United States, it requires access to export-controlled information or items that require “U.S. Person” status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a “U.S.

Person”: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/8/1324b.

Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.