Hydrographic Data Processing Specialist (Autonomous Vehicle)

About Ocean Aero:

Ocean Aero is an award-winning US company that has created the world's first and only environmentally powered Autonomous Underwater and Surface Vehicle (AUSV). Ocean Aero's autonomous marine robot, the Triton, operates exclusively on wind and solar energy and performs long-endurance missions on the ocean surface with the ability to dive below the waves for underwater operations. The Triton uses a complex array of custom-built sensors, marinized electronics, and software systems to operate, sense, and communicate in the environment.

Ocean Aero has a collaborative culture with opportunities for growth and ownership, and comprehensive benefits.

Role Description:

The Hydrographic Data Processing Specialist is responsible for processing, organizing, quality controlling, analyzing, managing, and delivering hydrographic, geospatial, navigation, vehicle, sensor, and mission-related data generated by Ocean Aero autonomous underwater and surface vehicles.

This position combines Category B-level hydrographic competency with technical data-processing and data-management responsibilities to support vehicle testing, sea trials, customer demonstrations, hydrographic surveys, and operational missions. The individual will transform raw vehicle and sensor data into accurate, traceable, and usable hydrographic and technical products for Engineering, Operations, Program Management, customers, and leadership.

The Hydrographic Data Processing Specialist will work closely with Operations and Engineering to support survey and data-collection planning, evaluate mission performance, perform hydrographic processing and QA/QC, troubleshoot data-quality and sensor-integration issues, and prepare internal and customer deliverables in accordance with company procedures, contractual requirements, applicable hydrographic standards, and security requirements.

This role reports to the Chief Operating Officer.

Role Responsibilities:

• Process, organize, validate, and maintain hydrographic and mission data generated from autonomous underwater and surface vehicle operations, testing, demonstrations, surveys, and deployments.
• Process hydrographic datasets from sonar, GNSS, INS, attitude, depth, sound-velocity, and other navigation and oceanographic sensors into standardized formats and customer-ready products.
• Perform hydrographic QA/QC, data cleaning, validation, georeferencing, sensor alignment review, coverage assessment, and uncertainty evaluation.
• Identify and investigate data-quality issues including navigation errors, timing or latency problems, sound-velocity effects, motion artifacts, sensor-offset errors, calibration issues, incomplete data, corrupted files, and other anomalies.
• Evaluate hydrographic data against applicable IHO S-44 requirements, customer specifications, survey plans, and internal acceptance criteria.
• Generate and review hydrographic products such as bathymetric surfaces, point clouds, track lines, coverage products, GIS layers, plots, reports, and supporting documentation.
• Support survey planning, sensor configuration, calibration activities, acceptance testing, sea trials, and post-mission analysis in coordination with Operations and Engineering.
• Provide data-driven feedback to Engineering and Operations regarding vehicle, navigation, sonar, sensor, or system-performance issues identified during processing and QA/QC.
• Maintain traceability between missions, vehicles, configurations, test events, datasets, processing steps, and associated documentation.
• Maintain organized electronic data repositories and follow approved naming conventions, directory structures, version control, archival, and documentation standards.
• Prepare data packages, reports, summaries, and supporting documentation for internal, customer, and government use; verify completeness and accuracy before release.
• Support development, documentation, and continuous improvement of standardized hydrographic and technical data-processing procedures and workflows.
• Assist with automation of repetitive processing, validation, reporting, and data-management activities where appropriate.
• Protect proprietary, customer, export-controlled, CUI, and other sensitive information in accordance with company policies and applicable cybersecurity, access-control, and information-security requirements.
• Assist with retrieval and analysis of historical mission and test data for engineering investigations, program reviews, customer requests, and operational analysis.
• Perform other hydrographic data-processing and data-management duties as assigned by the Chief Operating Officer.

Required Qualifications:

• Completion of an IHO/FIG/ICA recognized Category B hydrographic surveying program.
• Demonstrated practical experience processing and quality controlling hydrographic survey data.
• Working knowledge of hydrographic survey principles including positioning, geodesy, bathymetry, sonar, sound velocity, tides/water levels, vertical and horizontal datums, sensor offsets, calibration, and uncertainty.
• Experience with hydrographic processing software such as CARIS HIPS & SIPS, QPS Qimera, HYPACK/HYSWEEP, or equivalent.
• Ability to recognize abnormal, incomplete, or inconsistent hydrographic and technical data; investigate discrepancies; and document corrective actions.
• Ability to establish and follow repeatable, traceable data-processing and QA/QC workflows.
• Experience processing, organizing, validating, and managing large technical, geospatial, navigation, sensor, or operational datasets.
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, time management, and ownership of data quality and deliverable accuracy.
• Ability to prioritize time-sensitive operational and customer requirements and manage multiple datasets and priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to communicate effectively with Engineering, Operations, Program Management, customers, and leadership and to work independently within cross-functional teams.
• Professional judgment when handling proprietary, sensitive, controlled, or export-controlled information.
• US Citizenship required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Security Clearance and US Passport.
• Possess a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) or successfully pass the requirements to obtain one.
• Possess and maintain a valid driver license and personal vehicle insurance.
• Ability to pass drug screen, background check, and motor vehicle screening.

Preferred Qualifications:

• IHO/FIG/ICA Category A hydrographic training or advanced experience designing, managing, or technically leading complex hydrographic surveys.
• Bachelor's degree in hydrography, geomatics, marine science, ocean technology, geographic information systems (GIS), engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience with autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), AUSVs, or other autonomous maritime systems.
• Experience with multibeam echosounder (MBES), side-scan sonar (SSS), synthetic aperture sonar (SAS), GNSS, INS, DVL, SVP/CTD, or other maritime navigation and survey sensors.
• Experience evaluating total propagated uncertainty (TPU), survey coverage, sensor offsets, time synchronization, coordinate reference systems, and vertical datums.
• Experience with GIS or geospatial applications and hydrographic deliverable generation.
• Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, SQL, PowerShell, or similar scripting/data-processing tools.
• Experience in the maritime, defense, aerospace, robotics, unmanned systems, or autonomous vehicle industry.
• Experience supporting government or Department of Defense programs and familiarity with controlled technical information, export-controlled information, or CUI handling requirements.