We are seeking qualified Mission Managers to join the Mission Control Team, situated within the Operations Department at Saildrone, HQ. Mission Managers’ primary responsibilities are to plan the operational aspects of our varied projects and to monitor on-the-water vehicle operations both internally and externally in service to our customers.
During missions, data and vehicle telemetry is streamed in real time to Saildrone Mission Control. Mission Managers monitor the health of the Saildrone fleet and will develop a deep understanding of the vehicles’ payload sensors, including their capabilities and calibrations, as well as the vehicles’ performance in the challenging ocean environment.
The Mission Management team is positioned at a crucial crossroads in the organization and is constantly collaborating with various internal teams as well as with Saildrone customers. Candidates for the Mission Management team can expect their day-to-day work to directly deliver the company’s primary mission of autonomously collecting and returning oceanographic data from remote corners of the world.
Responsibilities
- Customer Management & Interactions
- Participate in collaborative meetings with customers alongside the Mission Control Manager before, during, and after missions.
- Provide and execute vehicle routing suggestions to optimize mission outcomes.
- Communicate clearly and professionally on the Saildrone customer-facing Mission Portal.
- Be able to effectively field a variety of mission-related inquiries from customers.
- Efficiently refer technical questions to Saildrone internal subject-matter-experts.
- Vehicle Management
- Daily monitoring of vehicle and payload health:
- Passage planning routes that are safe, efficient, and meet the mission requirements.
- Mission Managers must be able to remotely pilot our fleet of Saildrones around the globe, ensuring mission execution & safety.
- Daily monitoring of environmental conditions for areas of vehicle operation.
- Authorities Liaison and Administrative
- Assist Mission Control Manager with USCG & Vessel Traffic communications.
- Submit special notices for inclusion in Local Notices to Mariners for relevant missions.
- Monitor and report on Reserves and Sanctuaries requiring special access permissions.
- Actively contribute to the refinement and documentation of processes integral to Mission Control Operations.
Required Skills and Abilities
- Deep understanding of maritime operations, including navigation, COLREGS and safety procedures.
- Deep intuitive understanding of how sailing vessels perform at sea.
- Candidate must possess excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to work periodically irregular hours, rotating weekends, and shift work.
- Candidate is detail-oriented with a disciplined approach to communications, processes, and projects.
- Experienced problem solver unafraid of learning new skills and technologies.
- Able to interact fluidly with multiple audiences, including governmental agency leadership, senior executives, Engineers, and Operations personnel.
- Interest and passion for new technology applications for Maritime Awareness and Homeland Security.
- Proficiency with technology (GSuite, Slack, etc.) a plus.
Desired Experience
- Significant experience on deep sea vessels as officer in charge of a navigational watch.
- Offshore sailing experience.
- Experience within Command and Control Center environments.
- Experience leading a team in a maritime environment.
- Demonstrated record of success translating and prioritizing mission needs into actionable outcomes.
- Active or prior Security Clearance is a plus.
- Experience investigating and analyzing marine weather reports.
- Bachelor’s Degree a plus; or equivalent work experience.
