Marine Systems Engineer

About Oceanus

Oceanus Marine Technologies is building the operating platform for the modern maritime world.

Global trade runs on ships, and we’re redefining what’s possible at sea by leveraging modern technology.

We’re a small, hands-on team based in El Segundo building full-stack systems that perform in real operating conditions across vessels, ports, and fleets. We focus on practical, deployable technology that brings safety oversight, automation, and coordination to complex maritime environments.

Our founding team previously built and operated SpaceX’s Autonomous Spaceport Droneships, which are among the most advanced autonomous maritime systems ever deployed. Today, we work with leading U.S. operators to bring that same rigor and systems thinking to the next generation of maritime infrastructure.

About the Role

As a Marine Systems Engineer, you will own how Oceanus hardware comes together on the vessel including architecture, integration, and test. You will be responsible for the mechanical and electrical integration of our onboard systems cradle to production: defining how sensors, compute, power, and cabling are packaged, mounted, routed, and powered on the boat; coordinating across mechanical, electrical, and software teams to make those subsystems play together; and running the structured test campaigns that prove they hold up to the marine environment.

This is a hands-on, full-lifecycle role at the intersection of mechanical, electrical, and marine engineering. Expect to spend time at our El Segundo test facility; in shipyards installing and commissioning systems aboard vessels; and underway during sea trials, instrument in hand, validating that what we built works the way we said it would.

Key Responsibilities

• Own onboard systems integration from concept to production, including sensor installs, equipment enclosures, electrical panels, power distribution, and cable harnesses for Oceanus systems deployed on operating vessels

• Define and document system-level architecture for onboard installations: interface control documents, electrical block diagrams, mechanical layouts, and integration procedures

• Lead the mechanical and electrical integration of multi-vendor subsystems (sensors, compute, power, networking), including cable routing, harness design, grounding and bonding, and EMI and thermal management

• Develop and execute structured test campaigns bench, dockside, and underway and qualify hardware for shock, vibration, and thermal performance representative of vessel service

• Own the field deployment lifecycle: site surveys aboard customer vessels, install design, testing, on-board installation and commissioning, sea trials, and operator handoff

• Drive root-cause analysis when systems behave unexpectedly in the field, provide direct technical support to vessel crews, and feed findings back into design, drawings, and procedures

• Partner with software, electrical, and mechanical engineers to set integration standards and tooling that make every successive install faster, more repeatable, and more reliable

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Marine Engineering, Naval Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline

• 4+ years designing, integrating, and testing complex mechanical and electrical systems in real operating environments (maritime, aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, or heavy industrial)

• Demonstrated track record of owning hardware cradle to production from concept and analysis, through detail design and integration, through structured test and into sustained field operation

• Experience developing and executing structured test plans (environmental, vibration, ingress, functional), analyzing test data to drive design changes, and supporting prototype build and installation alongside technicians and trades

• Proficiency with 3D CAD (SolidWorks, NX, Creo, or equivalent), GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, and detailed assembly and installation drawings

• Willingness to travel to vessels, shipyards, and operator sites (~25% expected, with periods of more during major deployments)

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Direct experience with maritime systems, offshore operations, commercial workboat / merchant marine programs

• Familiarity with vessel mechanical and electrical systems, propulsion and auxiliary, switchboards, generators, fuel and fluid systems, deck machinery at the level of being able to design integrations that respect them

• Experience with FEA, CFD, or other modeling and simulation tools used to characterize and validate mechanical or electrical system performance

• Comfort with low-voltage DC and AC marine power, harness fabrication, terminations, and basic instrumentation work

• Sea time, USCG credentials, professional mariner background, or other direct vessel operations experience

• Comfort working alongside captains, crew, port engineers, and shipyard personnel — and translating their feedback into engineering action

Work Environment

• On-site with the team at our office in El Segundo, CA

• 25% travel to test sites or operator locations as needed

Compensation and Benefits

We are open to a wide range of experience levels. The expected salary range for this role is $130,000 - $210,000. Final compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, and scope of the role. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

• Generous Equity participation

• Fully stocked kitchen and catered lunch every day

• Onsite EV charging

• Flex Paid time off and company holidays

• 401(k) traditional and roth options

• Additional benefits that support your health, growth, and well-being

Why Oceanus, Why Now

Maritime operations are at the edge of a revolution. New connectivity and compute are finally unlocking remote monitoring, autonomy, and digitization.

Regulatory, economic, and geopolitical pressure is accelerating technology adoption, and U.S.-aligned infrastructure is more valuable than ever.

Oceanus is building on hard-won operational experience, including work on autonomous maritime systems supporting missions like SpaceX droneships, and have deep operator engagement with strong product-market alignment.

You will help form the technical core of a team transforming an industry that quite literally moves the world.