Saildrone’s manufacturing and R&D headquarters are located in Alameda, CA, with business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs in Europe and the Middle East. By combining proven autonomous operations, edge computing, advanced sensing, renewable power, and the most advanced and robust unmanned surface technology on the planet, Saildrone is shaping how the Navy of the future operates. Join a fast-moving, mission-driven team at the forefront of maritime security and autonomous innovation.
THE POSITION
Saildrone is seeking a Vice President of Fleet Operations to join our Operations organization. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, you will play a critical role in leading the global management of our uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) and scaling global operations to support revenue growth and customer outcomes. The Vice President of Fleet Operations is responsible for the end-to-end readiness of the entire Saildrone fleet, from commissioning of new vehicles, launch & deployment of customer missions, through 24/7 overwatch and field service keeping vehicles operating in some of the most challenging locations. We are looking for a senior operational leader who creates clarity from complexity and drives execution in high-stakes environments to deliver reliable results at global scale.
THE TEAM
The Fleet Operations organization is responsible for the planning, deployment, and real-time operation of Saildrone’s global USV fleet. We focus on delivering safe, reliable, and scalable maritime operations to support critical missions across defense, security, and commercial applications. This team operates in a 24/7, globally distributed environment, working closely with Fleet Managers, Technical Engineering Operations, Logistics, Shore Operations, Field Service, and Commissioning teams to ensure mission readiness, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
THE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Fleet Strategy & Performance Ownership: Be accountable for fleet utilization, sizing, and commissioning, including ownership of uptime, MTTR, cost efficiency, & utilization rates. Critical KPI’s include drone utilization, uptime, readiness, cost of service, and general operating costs of labor.
- Customer & Cross-Functional Alignment: Work closely with Customer Success & Program Management teams to deliver contracted missions on time, within budget, and to defined performance and quality standards.
- Operational Systems & Processes: Carry out day-to-day operations through the technical operations, shore operations, logistics, and field service systems to meet responsiveness, return-to-mission, and operational readiness targets.
- Risk, Escalation & Incident Management: Monitor for operational, technical, and regulatory risks; mitigate incidents, manage escalation paths, and resolve critical mission blockers to minimize downtime, safety exposure, and customer impact. Manage global support operations for 24/7 service & overwatch.
- Safety, Compliance & Standardization: Establish and enforce safety protocols, regulatory compliance (including maritime and export controls), and standardized operational practices to improve safety outcomes, reliability, and scalability across global operations. Establish standard operating footprints across international site locations.
- Operational Intelligence & Reporting: Provide timely updates on fleet performance, mission feasibility, capacity constraints, utilization forecasts, and customer delivery metrics to executive leadership to support strategic planning and resource allocation.
THE QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of experience in maritime, defense, aerospace, robotics, or complex technical operations, performing leadership roles in mission-critical environments.
- Demonstrated experience managing large-scale technical fleets or systems, including commissioning, lifecycle management, and operational scaling against defined performance metrics.
- Proven ability to optimize operational performance, manage budgets or P&L, and deliver measurable improvements in uptime, cost, and mission outcomes.
- Strong understanding of maritime systems, vehicle lifecycle management, logistics, and operational technologies across design, manufacturing, deployment, and service.
- Proven ability to analyze complex operational challenges, manage escalations, and make high-impact decisions in ambiguous, time-critical situations.
- Ability to clearly communicate technical, operational, and strategic information to cross-functional teams, executive stakeholders, and customer-facing partners.
- Ability to lead global, 24/7 operational teams and operate effectively in high-risk, safety-critical, and geographically distributed environments.
- Working knowledge of maritime regulations, safety standards, and compliance requirements, including familiarity with seamanship, port operations, and international logistics.
- The base salary range for this position is shown below. Actual compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and qualifications. This range reflects the base salary for candidates in states requiring pay transparency disclosure.
Salary range: $250,000 – $300,000 USD
Location: Alameda, California, United States
