---
title: 'Staff Software Engineer, Machine Learning at Saildrone'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-software-engineer-machine-learning-saildrone-alameda-vfy9etthds05'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-02'
---

# Staff Software Engineer, Machine Learning at Saildrone

- **Company:** Saildrone
- **Location:** Alameda, CA
- **Compensation:** $215k–$270k
- **Posted:** 2026-06-01
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-02
- **Apply:** https://www.saildrone.com/careers/available-jobs?gh_jid=4266216009

## Job description

## THE COMPANY

Saildrone is a maritime defense company and the global leader in autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). With more ocean miles and real-world operational experience than any USV manufacturer or operator, Saildrone maintains active, combat-deployed systems supporting national security and force projection around the world, 24/7/365.

Saildrone’s manufacturing and R&D headquarters are located in Alameda, CA, with business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, an established European entity supporting regional business development, sales, and operations, and a deployment hub in the Middle East. By combining proven autonomous operations, edge computing, advanced sensing, renewable power, and the most advanced and robust unmanned surface technology on the planet, Saildrone is shaping how the Navy of the future operates. Join a fast-moving, mission-driven team at the forefront of maritime security and autonomous innovation.

## THE POSITION

Saildrone is seeking a Staff Machine Learning Engineer to join our team. Reporting directly to a Senior Member of the Machine Learning team, you will play a critical role in designing, deploying, and scaling machine learning systems that enable autonomy and real-time intelligence across Saildrone’s global fleet. You will expand Saildrone’s model portfolio and ensure reliable, high-performance inference on edge hardware in complex maritime environments. We are looking for a technical leader who creates clarity from ambiguity, drives end-to-end execution, and takes ownership of production ML systems in mission-critical environments.

This role is required to be onsite in Alameda, CA in the Bay Area 3 days per week - this is our hybrid model. This is not a remote position.

## THE TEAM

The Machine Learning team is responsible for developing and deploying models that power perception, autonomy, and intelligence across Saildrone’s autonomous surface vehicles. We focus on building scalable, high-performance ML systems that transform multimodal sensor data into actionable insights, enabling persistent maritime awareness in national security and defense environments.

## THE RESPONSIBILITIES

- Production & Mission Impact: Design and deploy production-grade ML models for real-time perception to detect, classify, and track high-value targets. Your work directly enables USVs to operate 24/7/365 in harsh, remote, and hostile maritime environments.
- Edge Architecture & Autonomy: Own the full ML lifecycle architecture, ensuring models run reliably on NVIDIA Jetson/AGX platforms. Drive the intelligence that advances autonomous decision-making and behavior for a growing fleet of robotic systems.
- Multi-Modal Sensor Fusion: Lead the integration of Saildrone’s unique sensor suite—including cameras, radar, lidar, hydrophones, and bathymetric sensors—to maintain situational awareness in complex, resource-constrained environments.
- Dataset & Robustness Engineering: Drive the rapid expansion of proprietary maritime datasets and develop rigorous evaluation frameworks to ensure model performance remains stable across variable sea states and extreme weather.
- Strategic ML Ops: Architect and scale cloud-based training pipelines and CI/CD workflows. You will resolve technical ambiguity to ensure the "full stack" from data ingestion to edge deployment is performant and maintainable.
- System-Wide Optimization: Lead technical decisions for onboard compute efficiency using runtime libraries like TensorRT, ensuring that rapid model iterations enhance rather than disrupt the overall software stack stability.
- Technical Leadership & Vision: Direct large-scale ML projects from concept to completion. Mentor junior and senior engineers while shaping the technical roadmap for the global ML organization. Set engineering standards and influence architectural direction across multiple ML and autonomy teams
- Cross-Functional Integration: Serve as a technical leader across multiple engineering organizations —from Perception to Frontend—to ensure ML-driven insights are actionable for mission pilots and critical to disrupting illegal maritime activity.

## THE QUALIFICATIONS

- BS or MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field, as required for the design of complex autonomous systems.
- 10+ years of experience in Machine Learning or Software Engineering, performing work related to the full ML lifecycle, from cloud-based training to edge deployment.
- Serve as a technical authority for edge AI systems operating in mission-critical environments.
- Track record of leading cross-functional technical initiatives in autonomy, robotics, defense, or large-scale distributed systems
- Demonstrated proficiency in Python, ML frameworks (PyTorch/TensorFlow), and runtime libraries (TensorRT) required to deploy performant computer vision and sensor fusion models.
- Experience making system-level architecture and modeling decisions under high ambiguity, balancing performance, reliability, and compute constraints in real-world deployed ML systems
- Track record of communicating technical vision, project roadmaps, and model performance metrics to peers, senior leadership, and cross-functional partners.
- Ability to work effectively in remote or hybrid environments, including supporting a fleet that operates 24/7/365 in harsh and hostile maritime conditions.
- Working knowledge of CI/CD best practices, Linux/Unix environments, and MLOps pipelines relevant to maintaining production-grade software at scale.
- Demonstrated experience mentoring senior and junior engineers and leading end-to-end technical projects from initial concept to mission-ready fielding.

The base salary range for this position is shown below. Actual compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and qualifications. This range reflects the base salary for candidates in states requiring pay transparency disclosure.

Salary Range $215,000—$270,000 USD

To view Saildrone's candidate privacy policy, please visit: https://www.saildrone.com/privacy-policy.

## BENEFITS

At Saildrone, we’re building operational capability that matters—and that requires people who can do their best work over the long term. We invest in our team’s well-being, financial security, and professional growth so you can focus on delivering real-world impact with confidence and stability. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support you and your family while you contribute to a mission with lasting significance.

- Generous Time Off: Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave ensure you can rest, reset, and sustain performance over time.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents—providing security and peace of mind.
- Shared Ownership in the Mission: Equity grants are a core part of our compensation, allowing you to participate in the long-term value you help create through meaningful, operational work.
- Retirement Savings: Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options supports long-term financial planning.
- Investment in Your Growth: We support your continuous learning through an annual professional development reimbursement program, empowering you to sharpen your skills and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving field.
- Relocation Support: For eligible roles, we offer relocation assistance to help bring the world’s best talent to our mission-critical locations.

Saildrone is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

## About Saildrone

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Saildrone builds autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) that deliver persistent maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and kinetic effects for defense, security, and ocean mapping missions.
- **Entity Type**: Private (venture-backed)
- **Headquarters**: Alameda, California, USA
- **Founded**: Not publicly available (company references 12+ years of operations as of 2026)
- **Founders**: Richard Jenkins (Founder & CEO)

## Core Business
- **Industry**: Autonomous maritime systems, defense technology, ocean data and intelligence
- **Target Customers**: Primarily government and military (U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, allied navies), as well as commercial ocean mapping and environmental monitoring organizations
- **Mission**: To give operators persistent awareness of maritime activity, the seabed, and the environment — delivering data, intelligence, and kinetic effects for strategic superiority at sea.

## Products & Services
- **Saildrone Voyager**: Multi-mission USV for maritime domain awareness, counter-narcotics, illegal immigration monitoring, electronic surveillance, and coastal mapping. Equipped with radar, vision, AIS fusion, and AI-driven classification.
- **Saildrone Explorer**: Smaller, proven platform for environmental sensing and extended presence; used for climate and oceanographic data collection.
- **Saildrone Surveyor**: Deep-ocean mapping USV with high-resolution multibeam sonar; designed for seafloor mapping and undersea infrastructure inspection.
- **Saildrone Spectre**: Next-generation medium USV for high-end naval operations, available in two variants:
  - **Silent Endurance**: Ultra-quiet persistence for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and ISR, with towed arrays and variable-depth sonar.
  - **Stealth Strike**: Low-observable, high-speed platform for kinetic operations with concealed payload capacity for effectors.
- **Services**: Real-time surface ISR, seafloor mapping, anti-submarine warfare, and METOC (meteorological and oceanographic) data delivery.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Over 2.5 million nautical miles sailed and 65,000 days at sea (as of 2026); fleet includes hundreds of USVs deployed globally
- **Notable Investors**: BOND, XN, Standard Investments, Emerson Collective, Crowley Maritime Corporation, Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund, Lux Capital, Social Capital, Tribe Capital, The Schmidt Family Foundation, Exor Seeds
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Introduced Saildrone Spectre in 2025, filling a critical ASW capability gap
  - Achieved US Navy integration in 2026
  - Expanded European operations with headquarters in Copenhagen (2022)
  - First production Surveyor launched at Austal USA (2024)
  - Proven GPS-denied operations in the Middle East (2025)
  - Operates globally with deployment hubs worldwide

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proven extreme endurance**: USVs operate autonomously for months in the harshest ocean environments, enabling persistent missions that crewed vessels cannot sustain.
- **Proprietary wing technology**: Developed from a world-record wind-powered vehicle, enabling efficient, near-silent propulsion with high payload capacity.
- **Integrated sensor fusion**: Combines radar, vision, AIS, sonar, and AI classification for real-time above- and below-surface awareness.
- **End-to-end autonomy platform**: Vehicles stream data directly into customer command-and-control systems 24/7/365.
- **Trusted by defense customers**: 12+ years of operational track record with governments including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.

## Strategic Focus
- **Defense and national security**: Continuing to expand capabilities for anti-submarine warfare, ISR, and kinetic effects to address critical gaps in maritime power projection.
- **European market expansion**: Growing presence in Europe through the Copenhagen office and partnerships with allied navies.
- **Autonomy at scale**: Scaling production of Surveyor and Spectre classes, and integrating advanced payloads for undersea warfare, electronic warfare, and multi-domain operations.
- **Ocean data services**: Leveraging persistent mapping and environmental monitoring for commercial and scientific applications.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture**: Join a team at the intersection of AI, autonomy, and defense technology, delivering systems that directly impact national security and maritime safety.
- **Comprehensive benefits**: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; 12 weeks paid parental leave (maternity/paternity); military leave with pay differential; sabbatical after 5 years; annual professional development stipend; 401K through Fidelity; accrued PTO and holidays.
- **Work environment**: Headquarters in Alameda, CA, with an office in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs globally. Fast-moving, engineering-focused organization that values innovation and operational excellence. Hybrid/remote policy not specified.
- **Growth opportunities**: Work on cutting-edge autonomous systems with real-world impact, from deep-ocean mapping to advanced naval missions.

## Sources
1. [Saildrone Main Website](https://www.saildrone.com/)
2. [Saildrone Careers](https://www.saildrone.com/careers)
3. [Saildrone About Us](https://www.saildrone.com/about)
4. [Saildrone Available Jobs](https://www.saildrone.com/careers/available-jobs)
5. [Saildrone LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saildrone-inc)

## Other roles at Saildrone

- [Hydrographic Surveyor (Part-Time)](https://feeny.ai/job/hydrographic-surveyor-part-time-saildrone-remote-gnvn21zvxrys)
- [Manager, Homeland Security Growth](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-homeland-security-growth-saildrone-washington-cv6eztm0ke91) — Washington, DC
- [Hydrographic Surveyor](https://feeny.ai/job/hydrographic-surveyor-saildrone-remote-yrbsmebdpcmy)
- [Technical Operations Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-operations-engineer-saildrone-abu-dhabi-9gznfz0hge21) — Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- [Fleet Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/fleet-manager-saildrone-abu-dhabi-kjv2tw92hvn4) — Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- [Final Assembly Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/final-assembly-technician-saildrone-alameda-n0bc8mzm81yd) — Alameda, CA
- [Fleet Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/fleet-manager-saildrone-alameda-th4hcsw1bbzg) — Alameda, CA
- [Global Supply Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/global-supply-manager-saildrone-alameda-dhjxashff9xj) — Alameda, CA
- [Fleet Operations Project Controller](https://feeny.ai/job/fleet-operations-project-controller-saildrone-alameda-xmh70vkadey6) — Alameda, CA
- [Senior Material Handler – Shipping & Fulfillment](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-material-handler-shipping-fulfillment-saildrone-alameda-hnbxqd3rw158) — Alameda, CA