Ocean Career: Saildrone Surveyor Fleet Manager

Surveyor Fleet Manager

Our USVs are long-range, extreme-endurance platforms powered by advanced sensors and proprietary AIthey have been designed to operate where no crewed vessel can. They collect critical insights above and below the surface to support border security, law enforcement, naval operations, and undersea infrastructure protection.

The Position

Saildrone is seeking a Surveyor Fleet Manager to join our Surveyor Fleet Team. Reporting directly to the Surveyor Fleet Director, you will play a critical role in managing the global fleet of surveyor vehicles, supporting commissioning, deployments, recoveries, and on-going maintenance to ensure high mission uptime. We are looking for a skilled leader who has a proven track record of independently driving execution in a fast-paced maritime environment and can establish regional operating locations with a focus on flexibility and ease of access.

The Team

The Surveyor Fleet Team is responsible for the end-to-end operational readiness and logistics of Saildrone's largest vehicle class. We are focused on delivering robust and scalable solutions for global maritime missions to maintain a high level of vehicle uptime and on-time deployments, operating in a complex national security and defense environment.

The Responsibilities

• Support Program Managers as the primary internal customer for mission success; collaborating to ensure customer satisfaction and assisting in the development of mission planning schedules and requirements.
• Perform management of Saildrone's fleet of Surveyor vehicles to achieve high levels of uptime (>70%) and on-time deployments, while meeting all safety and customer mission standards.
• Be accountable for the yearly operating budget for fleet operations, including ownership of monthly budget-to-actual spend analysis, quarterly updates, end-of-year close, and mission profitability analysis.
• Work closely with Program Management, Technical Operations, and Finance teams to align on mission planning, vehicle assembly, and insurance requirements (including coverage for vehicles and support teams) to ensure successful delivery of shared goals.
• Oversee Fleet Captains in the day-to-day management of drones during launch and recoveryincluding defining tow procedures and dockside managementto ensure the safety of the drone and support resources
• Monitor for fleet performance issues, risks, and blockers, coordinating service response needs with Technical Operations and aiding in information sharing to support root cause analysis.
• Adhere to and establish shipping and transportation standards, SOPs, and safety protocolsensuring all logistics follow international regulations and ITAR guidelines in collaboration with Logistics.
• Provide timely updates on drone performance status (on-mission periods, uptime, and utilization) and provide teams with workload estimation and forecasts for fleet scheduling and staffing.
• Meet commitments by managing all emergency and specialized Surveyor drone recoveries based on complexity and sea state, and support pilots and sensor operators with advice for safe navigation and good seamanship.
• Establish training materials for regional teams regarding vehicle handling, and define general standards regarding marine services, facilities, and equipment.
• Identify and establish regional forward operating locations and maintain a pool of regional contractors, ensuring all required operating insurance coverage is in place to protect Saildrone's interests.
• Establish a culture of accountability, providing leadership to Fleet Captains and coordinating plans and schedules related to maintenance and repair schedules, logistical support, and shore operations.
• Build and mentor a strong leadership bench and recruit, retain, and develop world-class talent to scale with business growth projections.

The Qualifications

• Licensed Captain preferred, with formal Bachelor degree in Marine Transportation/Engineering or equivalent training in maritime operations as required for regulatory and safety reasons.
• 15+ years of experience in the maritime industry, performing work related to fleet management, vessel operations, or marine logistics.
• Demonstrated proficiency in vehicle handling, deployments, and recoveries required to perform global Surveyor fleet operations.
• Proven ability to manage emergency recoveries and troubleshoot complex logistical problems in situations involving high sea states, remote locations, and time pressure.
• Ability to clearly communicate mission feasibility studies and drone performance status to Program Managers, cross-functional partners, and customers.
• Ability to work effectively in a field-heavy environment, including the ability to travel as much as 60% to support fleet health and mission capability.
• Working knowledge of international shipping regulations and ITAR relevant to global maritime operations and logistics.
• Commitment to safety with a proven history of maintaining a "Zero Injuries" record.

Location: This position is in Alameda, CA. Our waterfront office offers beautiful views of San Francisco Bay in always-sunny Alameda.

Salary range: $115,100-$212,000 annually.

Environment Coastal & Offshore (eco) Magazine