Software Engineer

Software Engineer

Location: Full-time, onsite in Monroe Township, New Jersey.

About Us:

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (OPT) provides intelligent maritime solutions and services that enable safer, cleaner, and more productive ocean operations for the defense and security, oil and gas, science and research, and offshore wind markets, including Merrows™, which provides AI-capable seamless integration of Maritime Domain Awareness Systems across platforms. Our PowerBuoy® platforms provide clean and reliable electric power and real-time data communications for remote maritime and subsea applications. We also provide WAM-V® unmanned surface vehicles (USV’s) and marine robotics services. The Company’s headquarters is located in Monroe Township, New Jersey and has an additional office in Richmond, California.

The Role:

We are seeking an experienced Software Engineer to develop and enhance the software systems that power our WAM-V autonomous surface vehicles, PowerBuoy® products and our Maritime Domain Awareness and Merrows initiatives. This role is ideal for a highly skilled engineer with strong expertise in programming, networking, and communications systems, particularly in robotics applications.

While robotics experience is preferred, we place a higher priority on proficiency in C/C , Linux and real-time operating systems, networking, and software integration for autonomous systems. Additionally, experience in computer vision is highly desirable.

This position provides the opportunity to work on mission-critical autonomy solutions, sensor integration, and multi-vehicle cooperation algorithms, shaping the future of marine autonomy and robotics.

Responsibilities:

• Develop robust, reliable software for control, navigation, and communication of autonomous surface vehicles, PowerBuoy® products and Maritime Domain Awareness and Merrows systems
• Integrate software with hardware systems, working closely with mechatronics, electrical, and embedded engineers.
• Work with sensor inputs (e.g., cameras, radar, sonar, LiDAR, Starlink, cellular) to enable data capture, obstacle avoidance, and autonomy behaviors.
• Advance obstacle detection and avoidance algorithms, leveraging sensor fusion, AI, and machine learning.
• Improve multi-vehicle cooperative behaviors in surface, sub-surface, and aerial domains.
• Develop simulations to model vehicle behavior in dynamic ocean environments.
• Debug and troubleshoot software issues in complex, real-world operational conditions.
• Maintain technical documentation, including software architecture, APIs, and test procedures.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a software engineering role related to robotics, autonomous vehicles, or embedded systems.
• Proficiency in C and C with experience in real-time and embedded systems.
• Strong experience with Linux development environments and common software build toolchains
• Expertise in networking and communications, including Serial, UDP, TCP, RF, LTE, Wi-Fi, and satellite systems, and a familiarity with basic VPN configuration.
• Strong sense of self-motivation, problem-solving skills, and ability to debug complex systems with minimal guidance
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams.
• Must be a US Citizen
• Eligibility to obtain U.S. government security clearance is required.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in computer vision and machine learning, particularly for obstacle detection and sensor processing in autonomous systems. Knowledge of SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) for autonomous navigation.
• Experience working with ROS (Robot Operating System, v1 or 2), MOOS-IvP, or other platforms for autonomy integration
• Experience with NVIDIA Jetson platforms and associated software tools (including CUDA, TensorRT, and the DeepStream SDK)
• Experience with real-time video streaming and processing (RTP, RTSP, SRT protocols and the ffmpeg and GStreamer libraries)
• Experience developing C -based GUI applications in both Linux and Windows environments
• Hands-on experience with autonomous or marine vehicles and/or a willingness to participate in field testing and sea trials.
• Familiarity with microcontrollers, embedded Linux platforms, and their integration with robotic systems.
• Ability and willingness to travel occasionally for testing, field operations, and customer demonstrations.

This role is primarily On Site and the ability to come to our Monroe Township Office is necessary.  A hybrid arrangement will be considered for exceptional candidates only.

Ocean Power Technologies provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.

Salary range is $120,000 - $135,000 per year and includes the following:

• Bonus potential
• Restricted Stock Awards 

Benefits include:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• 401(k)