---
title: 'Vice President, Marketing at Saildrone'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/vice-president-marketing-saildrone-washington-h5nz463jaeae'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-19'
---

# Vice President, Marketing at Saildrone

- **Company:** Saildrone
- **Location:** Washington, DC
- **Compensation:** $254k–$315k
- **Posted:** 2026-10-10
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-19
- **Apply:** https://www.saildrone.com/careers/available-jobs?gh_jid=4266873009

## 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, and deployment hubs in Europe and 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 Vice President of Marketing to join our DC Capture team. Reporting directly to the Chief Government Relations Officer, you will play a critical role in realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC, and establishing the strategic architecture needed to transition Saildrone from early-stage growth to defense market maturity. We are looking for a seasoned executive leader who creates clarity from ambiguity, possesses a relentless energy to drive revenue growth, and has a proven track record of successfully dragging high-growth tech firms through the defense pivot into enterprise-level operational maturity.

## THE TEAM

The Marketing Team is responsible for shaping Saildrone’s global brand, driving strategic demand generation, and positioning our platform to win major defense and federal contracts. We are focused on delivering sophisticated, scalable marketing solutions that differentiate Saildrone within a high-stakes national security and defense environment. Operating at the intersection of policy and technology, the marketing  team serves as a high-discretion partner to Sales, Government Relations, and external agencies to ensure marketing directly accelerates mission success, sales  and business growth.

## THE RESPONSIBILITIES

- Execute the Defense Heavyweight Pivot: Develop and own the overarching marketing strategy to transition Saildrone from an early-growth brand to a mature, dominant player within the national security and defense ecosystem.
- Drive BD Alignment: Architect and execute comprehensive campaign plans and marketing strategies that directly align with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives, moving far beyond day-to-day communications to influence long-cycle federal acquisitions.
- Optimize External Agency Partnerships: Direct and orchestrate relationships with top-tier external public relations, public affairs, and crisis communication firms; selectively leverage outside counsel to maximize impact and ensure high-fidelity delivery at scale.
- Establish Washington Governance: Realign marketing operations to the Washington, DC ecosystem, setting up foundational frameworks, metrics, and regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers.
- Optimize Operational Throughput: Oversee the allocation of significant marketing budgets, ensuring strict fiscal discipline, high delivery standards, and measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns.
- Foster Executive Collaboration: Work closely with Government Relations, Sales, and executive leadership to align messaging with rapidly shifting geopolitical realities and federal procurement cycles.
- Cultivate Accountability: Establish a culture of ownership, strategic rigor, and delivery excellence across the brand, digital, and public relations functions.
- Build the Bench: Recruit, retain, and mentor a high-performing marketing organization, developing internal talent while optimizing the mix of in-house capabilities and external agency support.
- Maintain Industry Ethics: Perform all responsibilities in accordance with Saildrone values, ensuring all strategies adhere to the strict ethical, security, and quality guidelines of the defense industry.

## THE QUALIFICATIONS

- Proven Enterprise Scale: 12+ years of progressive marketing experience, with a track record of serving as a VP or senior leader who has successfully scaled a company from late-early growth to mature enterprise status.
- Defense Ecosystem Expertise: Deep, verifiable domain expertise working within the Washington, DC defense, national security, and federal contracting ecosystem.
- Strategic Campaign Mastery: Demonstrated proficiency in building macro-level marketing campaign plans and business development strategies tailored for complex, long-cycle B2G/G2G sales environments.
- Sophisticated Agency Management: Proven ability to manage, direct, and collaborate with top-tier external communication and crisis management firms, maintaining absolute discretion and a focus on high-fidelity delivery.
- Macro Decision-Making: Proven ability to analyze highly complex geopolitical and market issues, making rapid strategic pivots and budget reallocations under intense time and reputational pressure.
- Executive-Level Communication: Exceptional ability to clearly communicate visionary storytelling, strategic defense positioning, and marketing ROI to board members, federal partners, and cross-functional executives.
- Fiscal Leadership: Working knowledge of managing large-scale budgets and metrics-driven marketing requirements within a high-growth, venture-backed or public defense tech organization.

## PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

- Travel: Ability to travel domestically and internationally 20–30% of the time to support industry events, government briefings, and corporate headquarters.

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 $254,000—$315,000 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)

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