Staff Software Engineer, Machine Learning

Saildrone • Alameda, CA

3d • $215,000 - $270,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Saildrone is seeking a Staff Machine Learning Engineer to join our team. Reporting directly to the Director of Software Engineering, you will play a critical role in designing, deploying, and scaling machine learning systems that enable autonomy and real-time intelligence across Saildrone’s global fleet. You will expand Saildrone’s model portfolio and ensure reliable, high-performance inference on edge hardware in complex maritime environments. We are looking for a technical leader who creates clarity from ambiguity, drives end-to-end execution, and takes ownership of production ML systems in mission-critical environments.

Requirements

• BS or MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field, as required for the design of complex autonomous systems.
• 10+ years of experience in Machine Learning or Software Engineering, performing work related to the full ML lifecycle, from cloud-based training to edge deployment.
• Serve as a technical authority for edge AI systems operating in mission-critical environments.
• Track record of leading cross-functional technical initiatives in autonomy, robotics, defense, or large-scale distributed systems
• Demonstrated proficiency in Python, ML frameworks (PyTorch/TensorFlow), and runtime libraries (TensorRT) required to deploy performant computer vision and sensor fusion models.
• Experience making system-level architecture and modeling decisions under high ambiguity, balancing performance, reliability, and compute constraints in real-world deployed ML systems
• Track record of communicating technical vision, project roadmaps, and model performance metrics to peers, senior leadership, and cross-functional partners.
• Ability to work effectively in remote or hybrid environments, including supporting a fleet that operates 24/7/365 in harsh and hostile maritime conditions.
• Working knowledge of CI/CD best practices, Linux/Unix environments, and MLOps pipelines relevant to maintaining production-grade software at scale.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring senior and junior engineers and leading end-to-end technical projects from initial concept to mission-ready fielding.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy production-grade ML models for real-time perception to detect, classify, and track high-value targets.
• Own the full ML lifecycle architecture, ensuring models run reliably on NVIDIA Jetson/AGX platforms.
• Lead the integration of Saildrone’s unique sensor suite—including cameras, radar, lidar, hydrophones, and bathymetric sensors—to maintain situational awareness in complex, resource-constrained environments.
• Drive the rapid expansion of proprietary maritime datasets and develop rigorous evaluation frameworks to ensure model performance remains stable across variable sea states and extreme weather.
• Architect and scale cloud-based training pipelines and CI/CD workflows.
• Lead technical decisions for onboard compute efficiency using runtime libraries like TensorRT, ensuring that rapid model iterations enhance rather than disrupt the overall software stack stability.
• Direct large-scale ML projects from concept to completion.
• Serve as a technical leader across multiple engineering organizations —from Perception to Frontend—to ensure ML-driven insights are actionable for mission pilots and critical to disrupting illegal maritime activity.

Benefits

• Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave
• Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents
• Equity grants
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options
• Annual professional development reimbursement program
• Relocation assistance for eligible roles

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior