Ocean robots that stay at sea for months
Online Oceans builds Scout, a 2.4 m solar-electric robot boat that collects ocean data for months at a time. No ship. No crew. One person launches it from a beach. Tether, our web platform, runs the fleet from any browser.
Survey companies, instrument makers and research programmes use Scout to watch the sea, listen for vessels and marine mammals, and measure waves and weather. We are a small, venture-backed team in Southampton, growing fast.
The job
Scout deploys for scientists, survey companies and offshore operators in the UK and overseas, from single-boat trials to several Scouts working together as a swarm. You will plan and run those operations, lead demonstrations for customers and partners, and be the person customers rely on in the field. You will also own how every Scout is tested, from local sea tests and accelerated testing to post-production checks before a boat ships, and your results will set engineering's priorities. You will set the standard for field safety and hire the field engineering team as we grow. Your background could be in operations or in engineering.
What you will do
- Plan and run sea trials, demonstrations and customer deployments in the UK and overseas, from logistics to launch and recovery.
- Organise large trials and demonstrations with customers and partners, including several Scouts working as a swarm.
- Own Scout testing: local sea tests, accelerated testing and post-production tests on every boat before it ships.
- Turn trial and test results into clear reports and priorities for the engineering team.
- Look after customers before, during and after deployments, and be their main contact in the field.
- Own field safety: risk assessments, safe systems of work and small-boat operations.
- Hire, train and lead the field engineering team, and write the procedures it works to.
What you will bring
- 15+ years in sea trials, offshore operations, test and evaluation or field engineering.
- A track record of organising large trials or demonstrations with customers and partners.
- Experience writing and running test plans for equipment used at sea.
- Long-standing customer relationships, and the judgement to represent the company on trials and at exercises.
- Experience building and leading field teams.
- A record of running safe operations and building a safety culture.
- Time on the water (sailing, diving, commercial boats or the navy) and powerboat qualifications, or willingness to get them. We pay for training.
Nice to have
- Uncrewed vehicles: USV, AUV, ROV or drones.
- Large multi-vessel trials or exercises.
- Ocean sensors such as hydrophones, USBL tracking systems or metocean sensors.
Why join
- You build the function The field team, the test regime and the safety procedures are yours to design, and you hire the people who run them.
- Serious customers You will run trials and deployments for survey companies, instrument makers and research programmes, and be the person they work with at sea.
- A short path to engineering Field and engineering work side by side, so what you find on trials and in testing goes straight into the next build.
- A vessel designed for field work Scout is 2.4 m and 80 kg and one person launches it from shore, so trials need no crane, port or support vessel.
How to apply
Email your CV to hello@onlineoceans.com with "Head of Field Engineering" in the subject line. Add a few lines on what you have built and why the ocean matters to you.
Not a perfect match? Apply anyway. We reply to every application. No agencies, please.
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