USV Vessel Operator / Mechanical Test Technician

Job Overview

We are seeking a hands-on USV Vessel Operator / Mechanical Test Technician to support the development, testing, troubleshooting, modification, and daily operation of advanced autonomous and uncrewed surface vessels.

This is a full-time, hourly technical position with company benefits. A college degree is not required. The position is intended for someone with strong vessel-operating experience and a practical mechanical background who can work directly on propulsion, steering, sensors, enclosures, hardware installations, fiberglass structures, and prototype systems.

The primary focus of this position is developmental mechanical integration, troubleshooting, vessel modification, and on-water test support prior to formal integration, validation, or acceptance testing.

Responsibilities

• Operate autonomous, remotely operated, and crewed test vessels as part of daily engineering and on-water test activities.
• Support pre-operation, live on-water, and post-operation mechanical inspection and troubleshooting.
• Install, remove, modify, and maintain onboard mechanical and electromechanical hardware.
• Install and mechanically integrate sensors, antennas, brackets, mounts, enclosures, cabling interfaces, and supporting hardware.
• Perform sensor installation, alignment, setup, and calibration.
• Design, modify, and fabricate prototype mounting systems and enclosures.
• Support hardware installations requiring environmental protection appropriate for IP66 or higher environments.
• Apply appropriate sealing, gasketing, fastening, corrosion-control, strain-relief, and marine-environment installation practices.
• Perform updates, adjustments, maintenance, and troubleshooting of:
• Propulsion systems
• Steering systems
• Throttle and control systems
• Mechanical actuators
• Pumps
• Cooling systems
• Fuel systems
• Associated vessel hardware
• Troubleshoot mechanical and electromechanical problems discovered during dockside and on-water testing.
• Perform prototype fabrication, modification, fit-up, and installation.
• Perform FRP/fiberglass repair and fabrication, including basic structural and non-structural repairs, modifications, and mounting features.
• Support drilling, cutting, bonding, fastening, sealing, and mechanical integration of prototype systems.
• Inspect and evaluate hardware before and after test operations.
• Monitor vessel mechanical performance during live operations.
• Review and analyze pre-operation, live-operation, and post-operation performance logs.
• Correlate mechanical observations with propulsion, steering, sensor, power, and vessel-performance data.
• Identify recurring mechanical issues and assist engineering personnel with root-cause analysis.
• Document failures, adjustments, repairs, corrective actions, and test results.
• Support launching, recovery, fueling, trailering, and general vessel test-site operations.
• Maintain vessel readiness for daily engineering operations.
• Maintain safe vessel and test operations.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma, GED, technical-school training, military technical experience, or equivalent practical experience.
• College degree is not required.
• Experience operating boats or marine vessels.
• Strong hands-on mechanical aptitude.
• Experience troubleshooting mechanical and electromechanical systems.
• Experience using common hand tools, power tools, measuring tools, and fabrication equipment.
• Ability to install and modify mechanical hardware in marine environments.
• Familiarity with propulsion and steering systems.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, installation instructions, and technical documentation.
• Ability to perform prototype fabrication and field modifications.
• Ability to install sensors, mounts, brackets, enclosures, and related hardware.
• Understanding of marine sealing, corrosion protection, fasteners, gasketing, and environmentally protected installations.
• Ability to review and interpret operational and performance logs.
• Ability to clearly document mechanical problems, corrective actions, and test results.
• Comfortable working outdoors, aboard vessels, in bilges, machinery spaces, and confined onboard environments.
• Ability to work directly with engineers during active development and testing.
• Ability to work effectively aboard small vessels in rough-water conditions, including conditions up to approximately Beaufort Force 5, as operationally appropriate and safely authorized.
• Ability to maintain concentration and attention to fine mechanical details while underway and while working in confined spaces.
• Must be able to tolerate vessel motion and remain effective during extended on-water operations.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in any of the following is a plus:

• Autonomous or uncrewed surface vessels
• Commercial or military vessel operations
• Marine diesel engines
• Gasoline marine engines
• Outboard propulsion
• Inboard/outboard propulsion
• Waterjets
• Hydraulic steering
• Electronic steering systems
• Marine control systems
• Pumps and cooling systems
• Fuel systems
• Sensors and instrumentation
• Marine electronics installation
• IP-rated enclosures and penetrations
• Aluminum or stainless-steel fabrication
• Composite fabrication
• FRP/fiberglass repair
• Adhesive bonding
• Prototype fabrication
• Welding
• Machining
• CAD-based prototype support
• Root-cause troubleshooting
• Vessel performance analysis

Additional Qualifications

The following are considered a plus:

• U.S. Coast Guard OUPV / “6-Pack” Captain’s License
• U.S. Coast Guard Master Captain’s License
• Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)
• Former U.S. Navy E-4 through E-6 with small-craft, harbor boat, coxswain, engineering, machinery, or similar vessel-operations experience
• Former Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Army watercraft, or other military small-boat experience
• Experience towing and launching vessels
• Experience transporting boats and trailers
• Commercial marine repair or boatyard experience
• Military unmanned-systems or operational-test experience

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a technically inclined vessel operator who is equally comfortable behind the helm and working in an engine compartment, bilge, electronics bay, or prototype installation area.

This person should be able to operate the vessel daily, recognize when a mechanical system is not behaving correctly, inspect the hardware, review performance data, troubleshoot the problem, fabricate or modify a solution, make the required adjustment or repair, and return the vessel to test to verify the correction.

The ideal candidate should also be comfortable supporting rapid prototype development, including sensor installations, custom brackets, environmental enclosures, propulsion and steering modifications, and FRP fabrication or repair.

This is a hands-on technician position within the Engineering organization. These personnel are dedicated to engineering development, vessel testing, and prototype support and are not intended to be routinely reassigned to Manufacturing production work or Mechanical Engineering priority work.

Position Type

• Full-time
• Hourly / Non-Exempt
• Daily vessel operations and engineering test support
• On-water and shoreside test operations
• Overtime and extended test days may be required
• Occasional travel may be required

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $57,939 - $77,364