Staff Reliability and Quality Engineer

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 highly organized and passionate individual to join our quality engineering team. Reporting to the Manager, Quality Programs, the quality engineer will lead and participate in a wide variety of initiatives to ensure high product reliability and performance. This individual will play a key role in ensuring the world-class performance of the Saildrone’s autonomous surface vehicle and its production supply base. The ideal candidate will be intrinsically motivated, customer focused, detailed, team-oriented and have a drive for continuous improvement.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

Monitor field performance across multiple drone platforms and identify emerging quality and reliability trends.

Define, maintain, and report reliability KPIs suited to each product and customer use case, including MTBF, MTTF, failure rate, mean time to repair (MTTR), mission success rate, early-life failure rate, repeat failure rate, and reliability growth.

Perform life-data and reliability analysis, including Weibull analysis, to understand failure behavior and product performance over time.

Lead weekly field triage meetings to align teams on the most critical issues, set clear priorities, assign ownership, and turn insights into measurable actions that improve drone reliability.

Conduct MRB meetings for returned hardware and determine appropriate disposition, including scrap, remanufacture/reuse, use-as-is, or return for further analysis

Lead cross-functional RCA investigations including on returned hardware and drive CAPAs through closure.

Partner with Technical Operations Support and Fleet Service to develop systems for tracking field failures, trends, customer usage, and overall reliability performance.

Partner with Remanufacturing to develop and implement quality processes for the inspection, disposition, rework, and release of returned hardware.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.

5 to 8+ years of hands-on quality engineering experience in a high-stakes, hardware-centric environment (e.g., Aerospace, Defense, Automotive, or Maritime/Robotics).

OEM or T1 automotive, aerospace, maritime, or defense contractor experience.

Hands-on experience troubleshooting, testing, and investigating electromechanical hardware.

Experience defining and monitoring reliability KPIs for products operating in real-world customer environments.

Experience applying quality and reliability methods to real-world product and field issues.

Strong working knowledge of quality, root cause, and reliability methodologies, including 8D, FRACAS, FTA, and FMEA.

Working knowledge of statistical and reliability analysis tools, including the ReliaSoft suite.

Strong cross-functional communication skills with the ability to work across engineering, manufacturing, operations, service, and quality teams.

Strong planning, organizational, analytical, negotiation, interpersonal, decision-making, oral, and written communication skills.

Comfort with the ambiguity, rapid changes, and process evolution that comes in a start-up environment. The ability to create structure where none exists.

Bonus Qualifications

Six Sigma, ASQ CRE/CQE, or other relevant quality/reliability certification.

Technical or hands on knowledge of serial and network protocols (CAN, RS-485, RS-232, SPI, I2C, and TCP/IP).

Comfortable with Linux OS and ability to understand Shells scripts.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Work requires the ability to be stationary for extended periods of time.

Work requires the ability to transverse the manufacturing facility multiple times a day.

Work requires the following motions: bending, twisting, squatting and reaching.

Must be willing to travel 20% of the time.

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

$160,000 — $188,000 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.