Hardware Engineer, Saronic
Forward Deployed
+ Stock Options:
Unmanned vehicles for maritime security
Open for applications
Unmanned vehicles for maritime security
1001+ employees
Open for applications
+ Stock Options:
1001+ employees
Company mission
To redefine maritime superiority.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field. Master's degree is a plus
- 3+ years of experience working on integrated electromechanical systems, preferably in fielded or mission-critical environments
- Hands-on expertise in Mechanical assembly and fabrication (CNC, sheet metal, 3D printing, etc.)
- Hands-on expertise in Electrical integration (power systems, cabling, connectors, PCB bring-up)
- Hands-on expertise in rapid prototyping and system-level debugging
- Comfort working with tools such as CAD (SolidWorks, NX, or similar), basic electrical test equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes), and field integration setups
- Experience working with a Linux-based operating system
- Understanding of networking protocols and distributed systems, including TCP/IP, UDP, and message-passing frameworks
- Willingness to work in dynamic, hands-on environments, including on and near the water
- Strong sense of ownership and bias for action
- You thrive in real-world environments, responsible for solving open-ended problems
- Experience working with autonomous systems, drones, or other robotic platforms is preferred
- Familiarity with maritime environments or naval platforms is preferred
- Ability to write basic software tools (e.g., Python, shell scripts) for hardware bring-up or test automation is preferred
- Exposure to ruggedized or IP-rated hardware design is preferred
- Experience in systems integration or test engineering is preferred
What the job involves
- We are seeking a versatile Forward Deployed Hardware Engineer to join our technical team. You will have a strong mechanical and electrical background and be responsible for bringing our technology from the lab to the fleet
- This is not a traditional engineering role. You will be responsible for deploying our systems into the real world, directly supporting maritime missions. You will integrate cutting-edge mechanical and electrical payloads, debug complex system-level problems, and iterate hardware designs in the field to ensure success. This is a highly hands-on and field-oriented role with time split between the lab, fabrication spaces, and the waterfront
- Serve as a multidisciplinary field engineer responsible for mechanical and electrical integration of novel systems and payloads onto our Autonomous Service Vessels (ASVs) and maritime platforms
- Lead rapid prototyping efforts to support field experimentation and platform evolution
- Perform system bring-up, integration, and troubleshooting of power, networking, sensors, and compute subsystems
- Own dockside and sea trials - prepare vessels, install new hardware packages, and perform system validation in operationally relevant environments
- Drive design-for-assembly and design-for-deployment feedback into hardware product development
- Work closely with cross-functional teams, including Mechanical, Electrical, Software, and Autonomy Engineers, to evolve and harden system designs
- Interface with suppliers and fabrication shops to support fast turnarounds of custom components and harnesses
- Contribute to documentation and training to support the scaling of deployment and manufacturing
Our take
Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) are vehicles which operate at the surface of the water without a crew and can be used in oceanography and environmental monitoring, as well as for cargo transport or military applications. Saronic is a company developing USVs to have enhanced awareness and improved survivability, to be employed in maritime security.
Saronic's vehicles are designed to be smarter than previous models, with capabilities including adaptive path planning, multichannel communication, and the ability to better identify and track targets through a combination of passive sensors and advanced algorithms.
Saronic is clearly charting an ambitious course for the future of maritime innovation too. Through its strategic partnership with NVIDIA, the company has embedded cutting-edge AI and edge computing directly onto its autonomous vessels. By combining Saronic's shipbuilding and autonomy expertise with NVIDIA's advanced computing, the company is delivering smarter platform while modernizing US shipbuilding for the era of autonomy. With this momentum, Saronic should be able to scale its next-generation maritime solutions and lead the transformation of a critical industry.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (last 2 of 5 rounds)
Mar 2026
$1.8bn
SERIES D
Feb 2025
$600m
SERIES C
Total funding: $2.6bn
Company HQ
South Manchaca, Austin, TX
Leadership
Dino Mavrookas
(Co-Founder & CEO)Board Member of the Navy SEAL Foundation, and former Entrepreneur In Residence at 8VC. Spent 11 years as a Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy, from 2004 to 2015.
Rob Lehman
(Co-Founder & CCO)Founder of 9 Line Solutions, who is also a Communications Officer in the US Marine Corps. Previously the Chair and CEO of Temeku Technologies.
Vibhav Altekar
(Co-Founder & CTO)Former Advisor and Angel Investor for Standard Metrics and Chef Robotics. Spent 4 years working in Machine Learning at Anduril Industries.
Doug Lambert
(Co-Founder & COO)Former VP of Engineering at Terradepth. Before that, worked at Liquid Robotics for a total 8 years, ultimately as Head of Engineering.
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