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 Software to join our Software organization. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will play a critical role in defining and executing Saildrone’s software strategy and delivering mission-critical software systems that power autonomous maritime operations. You will shape the technical direction of the company while ensuring reliable, scalable, and secure software across autonomy, data, cloud, and customer-facing platforms supporting defense, government, and commercial missions. We are looking for a senior technology leader who creates clarity from complexity, sets technical direction under uncertainty, and drives execution in high-stakes operational environments, balancing long-term strategy with rigorous delivery of production-ready systems.

THE TEAM

The Software organization is responsible for the systems that power Saildrone’s autonomous maritime platform, spanning onboard autonomy and embedded systems, cloud infrastructure, data pipelines, machine learning, cybersecurity, and customer-facing applications. We are focused on delivering secure, scalable, and resilient software systems that enable persistent maritime awareness, autonomous operations, and mission-critical capabilities in national security and defense environments.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Execution: Define and execute a multi-year software strategy and roadmap that directly supports Saildrone’s defense, government, and commercial mission objectives, while meeting reliability, security, and delivery standards.

• End-to-End Ownership: Be accountable for the full software lifecycle across autonomy, embedded systems, data, cloud, and application platforms supporting autonomous maritime operations, including architecture, development, deployment, and sustained operations.

• System Reliability & Scale: Ensure defense-grade reliability, security, and performance of software systems, maintaining production readiness for global maritime deployments and mission-critical use cases.

• Cross-Functional Delivery: Work closely with Hardware, Product, Security, Operations, and TPM teams to align priorities, de-risk dependencies, and deliver tightly integrated systems that translate technical capabilities into operational mission outcomes.

• Engineering Excellence: Drive consistent adoption of modern engineering practices, including automated testing, observability, and security-by-design, to institutionalize predictable, high-quality software delivery for autonomous and defense-critical systems.

• Executive Decision Support: Provide the CEO and executive leadership with clear, data-driven tradeoffs between speed, capability, risk, scalability, and operational readiness in mission-critical contexts.

• Organizational Leadership: Establish a culture of accountability, ownership, collaboration, and engineering excellence across a multidisciplinary software organization spanning autonomy, embedded systems, data, cloud, and applications.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• 15+ years of experience in software engineering, including significant leadership of complex, multidisciplinary organizations.

• Demonstrated success delivering mission-critical, distributed, autonomous, or defense-adjacent systems at scale.

• Deep technical fluency across modern software architectures, autonomy, embedded systems, data platforms, cloud infrastructure, and real-time or distributed systems.

• Proven ability to analyze complex technical and organizational challenges, make high-stakes decisions under ambiguity, and drive execution in fast-moving environments.

• Ability to clearly communicate technical strategy, risks, and tradeoffs to executive leadership, cross-functional partners, and technical teams.

• Working knowledge of security, reliability, and compliance considerations relevant to defense, government, autonomous systems, or critical infrastructure environments.

• Executive presence with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders and align technology strategy with business and mission objectives.

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**$275,000—$350,000 USD**
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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.