Senior USV Payload Integration Engineer

Position SummaryBlue Ops, the maritime division of Red Cat Holdings (Nasdaq: RCAT), is a U.S.-based developer of advanced Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) systems purpose-built for defense and national security missions. Operating from our 11,400 sq. ft. innovation facility in West Palm Beach, FL, with production at our Valdosta, GA manufacturing hub, Blue Ops delivers a modular, scalable family of USV weapon systems, the Variant 5, Variant 7, and Variant 11, designed to meet the evolving operational needs of the U.S. Government and allied partners.As part of Red Cat Holdings' all-domain unmanned ecosystem alongside Teal Drones (sUAS) and FlightWave Aerospace (VTOL UAS), Blue Ops is uniquely positioned to deliver integrated, cross-domain unmanned capabilities from a single, American-made vendor. We are a fast-moving, mission-driven company where engineers have direct impact on fielded systems, and where your work shows up on the water.Blue Ops is seeking a Senior Integration Engineer to own the end-to-end payload integration lifecycle across the Blue Ops USV family of systems. You will be responsible for the design, development, installation, and test validation of both vendor-supplied and internally developed Red Cat payloads, spanning ISR sensors, communications, weapons systems interfaces, counter-UAS systems, and mission-specific hardware. This role sits at the intersection of systems engineering, hands-on integration, and cross-functional program management, and is critical to ensuring our USVs are mission-ready before they reach U.S. Government customers.You will serve as the primary technical liaison between external payload vendors, internal Red Cat/Blue Ops engineering teams, and cross-functional stakeholders, translating power, communications, mechanical, and data interface requirements into clean integration designs, and building custom acceptance test plans that prove out readiness prior to customer demonstrations and fielding.Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesPayload Integration LeadershipOwn the full payload integration lifecycle, from initial vendor engagement and requirements capture through design, installation, test execution, and customer demonstration support, for all Blue Ops USV variants (V5, V7, V11).Lead mechanical, electrical, and software integration of payloads onto USV platforms including EO/IR cameras, radar systems, communications suites (RF, SATCOM, mesh networking), weapon station interfaces, C-UAS payloads, and Red Cat-family sUAS/VTOL systems.Develop, maintain, and enforce Interface Control Documents (ICDs) defining power, physical envelope, data/communications, and control interface requirements between USV platforms and integrated payloads.Identify and resolve integration conflicts across subsystems, electrical interference, structural mounting constraints, thermal loading, power budget impacts, and data link conflicts, early in the design cycle.Coordinate hardware configuration management (CM) across integrated payloads; maintain accurate as-built documentation for each USV hull.Vendor & Stakeholder ManagementServe as the primary technical point of contact (POC) with third-party payload vendors, managing technical correspondence, interface data requests, schedule coordination, and integration readiness reviews.Conduct vendor capability assessments and support make/buy/integrate decisions in coordination with the Director of Technology and Program Management.Liaise between payload vendors, Blue Ops mechanical/electrical engineers, autonomy software teams, and the Red Cat family-of-systems (FoS) team to ensure system-level compatibility and mission alignment.Support procurement and contracting teams by contributing technical requirements to SOWs, CDRLs, and vendor agreements related to payload integration.Maintain a payload vendor registry with integration status, ICD revision history, and open technical action items.Test Planning & ValidationAuthor and execute custom Integration Test Plans (ITPs), Acceptance Test Procedures (ATPs), and Test Reports for each integrated payload and USV variant configuration.Design bench-level integration rigs and lab environments for pre-vessel payload checkout, reducing vessel time and integration risk.Lead dockside and at-sea integration validation events; support live water demonstrations for USG customers, program offices, and allied partners.Define and track test metrics, pass/fail criteria, and deficiency reporting against system-level performance requirements.Support failure analysis and corrective action root cause (RCCA) efforts arising from integration test discrepancies or field observations.Systems Engineering & DocumentationTranslate mission and operational requirements from USG customers and program offices into payload integration requirements, traceable from system-level ConOps down to ICD specifications.Maintain a payload requirements traceability matrix (RTM) linking customer requirements to design decisions and test evidence.Participate in design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR, FCA/PCA) for new payload integrations; brief integration status to senior leadership and customer audiences.Contribute to engineering documentation including installation work orders, wiring diagrams, component data sheets, system diagrams, and field operator guides.Ensure payload integration compliance with applicable MIL-STDs (MIL-STD-461 EMI/EMC, MIL-STD-810 environmental, MIL-STD-1472 human factors), NDAA sourcing requirements, and ITAR/EAR export controls.Required QualificationsBachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related technical field.5+ years of hands-on systems integration and test experience in defense, maritime, aerospace, or unmanned systems environments.Demonstrated experience integrating hardware payloads (sensors, communications systems, or mission equipment) onto unmanned or autonomous platforms (USV, UAS, UGV, or equivalent).Proven ability to author and execute integration test plans, acceptance test procedures, and formal test reports with defined pass/fail criteria.Experience managing interface requirements and producing or maintaining Interface Control Documents (ICDs) or equivalent interface specification products.Hands-on experience with electrical systems integration: power distribution, cabling/harness design, grounding schemes, and EMI/EMC practices.Strong vendor management skills: ability to drive third-party vendors to schedule and technical commitments through structured technical exchanges.Excellent written and verbal communication skills; demonstrated ability to brief technical topics to non-technical senior leadership and government customers.Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD Secret security clearanceAdditional Desired QualificationsActive DoD Secret or Top Secret clearance.Experience with marine electronics integration: NMEA 2000/0183 networks, AIS, radar, marine navigation systems, vessel power management.Familiarity with maritime autonomy stacks, C2 architectures, and communication protocols including MAVLink, ROS 2, or DDS.Experience with ISR payload integration: EO/IR cameras (FLIR, Teledyne, Speco), radar systems, or SIGINT/COMINT payloads.Exposure to Red Cat Holdings family of systems: Black Widow sUAS, Edge 130 VTOL, FANG FPV, or ARACHNID EW.Familiarity with ATAK/WinTAK plugin architecture, TAK server ecosystem, or MANET-based mesh networking (Silvus, Persistent Systems, L3Harris).Experience with ArduPilot/ArduRover, PX4, or equivalent open-source autopilot platforms on unmanned surface or ground vehicles.Embedded systems experience: Jetson Orin/Xavier, Raspberry Pi, or equivalent edge compute platforms in field-deployed systems.Knowledge of applicable MIL-STDs: MIL-STD-461 (EMC), MIL-STD-810 (environmental), MIL-STD-1553, or MIL-STD-1472.Experience supporting DoD rapid acquisition pathways (MTA, OTA, SOCOM, PEO programs) and customer demonstration events.ITAR/EAR working knowledge, particularly for ISR-related payloads, thermal cameras, and munitions interfaces.SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or equivalent CAD experience for payload mounting interface design and clearance checks.Physical Requirements and Working ConditionsMust be able to work in marine/waterfront environments including dockside and at-sea conditions; sea sickness mitigation strategies encouraged.Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs of payload or integration hardware.Comfortable working in confined spaces and on deck surfaces of small vessels (5–12 m USVs).Position is onsite at 1468 Skees Road, West Palm Beach, FL; hybrid schedule considered with minimum 50% on-site presence.Occasional travel required for at-sea trials, vendor facility visits, and USG customer demonstrations (up to 25%)Background CheckThis position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with a criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal and state law.EEO and ITAR/EAR Work Authorization DisclosureRed Cat Holdings provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Successful candidates for positions subject to ITAR/EAR restrictions must provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence and must not require sponsorship for export-restricted work authorization.E-VerifyThe company participates E-Verify ensure eligibility for employment and compliance with Right to Work rules.Compensation: Base pay, plus generous annual equity package and potential bonuses. #J-18808-Ljbffr Blue Ops Inc