Role: Payload Integration Engineer
Location: San Diego, CA (in-office)
Salary: $95,000 - $130,000 / yr + stock options, 401k matching, and other benefits
Role Overview:Seasats' autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) operate at sea for months at a time, carrying a wide variety of payloads. Ensuring those payloads are correctly integrated, tested, and documented is critical to every mission we run.
As a Payload Integration Engineer, you'll support the integration of payloads onto our vehicles. You'll work closely with engineers, the testing team, and cross-functional partners to help bring payloads from early development through testing and into production. This role is hands-on and detail-oriented, with an emphasis on learning, execution, and building repeatable processes.
Role Details:You will be responsible for:
- Conducting research and testing to evaluate payload capabilities
- Understanding and in some cases designing electrical systems, components, and products
- Working closely with the sales team to translate customers' system requirements into payload specifications
- Coordinating with engineers to develop test hardware, wiring harnesses, mechanical interfaces, etc. to build and test payload integrations
- Requirements management, system integration, test plan development, and test execution throughout a payload system's entire development, demonstration, and production phases
- Developing test plans and documentation such as user manuals, integration guides and troubleshooting guides
- Helping troubleshoot integration issues across electrical, software, and system boundaries
- Supporting the transition of payloads from R&D into production, including test setup and data handling workflows
- Serving as a technical point of contact for payload questions, with mentorship and support from electronics team members
About You:You're an independent, proactive engineer who enjoys owning problems and seeing projects through. You like figuring out how things work, documenting what you learn, and improving processes over time. You have:
- A Bachelor's degree or relevant coursework in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or a related field (or equivalent hands-on experience)
- 3-5 years of experience building, assembling, or testing hardware systems (academic, personal, or professional)
- Familiarity with PCBAs and basic electronics assembly or testing
- Some programming experience in C or C++ (e.g., test scripts, simple tools, or embedded coursework)
- Strong attention to detail and willingness to follow and improve documented procedures
- Clear written and verbal communication skills
In addition, it's nice (though not essential) if you have:
- Exposure to embedded systems, robotics, or autonomy platforms
- Basic networking knowledge (e.g., static IPs, SSH, device setup)
- Startup, research, or R&D team experience
Along with your salary, you'll receive perks including:
- Competitive insurance (including a 99% employer-covered Gold HMO plan or other options)
- 401k matching up to 4% of salary
- Four free lunches per week
- An employee activity fund
- A pet-friendly office
- Unlimited/Flex PTO
Hiring Notes:When applying, you'll be asked to provide a resume and answer a few screening questions.
Please note that we are currently unable to sponsor employment visas, so candidates must be independently authorized to work in the United States.
We look forward to reviewing your application!
