System Engineer - Unmanned Underwater Vehicless (Remote)

Role: Principal Systems Engineer – Defense & Autonomous Subsea Systems

Location: Netherlands (Hybrid/Remote setup available; access to physical test facilities)

Industry: Defense Technology / Unmanned Maritime Systems

Security Vetting: NATO-member citizenship mandatory; must be eligible for national security clearance

Salary: €100,000 – €110,000 base + performance bonus + equity package

Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent

Position Overview

A rapidly expanding defense technology pioneer focused on autonomous subsea interceptors is seeking a Lead Systems Engineer. The organization develops resilient marine robotics engineered for harsh oceanic conditions, including the North Sea. You will maintain full end-to-end technical leadership over vehicle architecture, driving mechanical, hydrodynamic, and electrical integration from initial design models to live ocean deployments.

Key Responsibilities

• Architecture & Systems Budgeting: Define core subsea platform frameworks while managing critical resource allocations, including mass, power draw, buoyancy, drag profiles, communications, and positioning.
• Trade-Off Analysis: Conduct detailed engineering trade studies to balance payload capacity, range, speed, and mission longevity.
• Cross-Disciplinary Engineering: Direct the technical convergence of high-voltage battery systems, autonomous control logic, and mission payloads within space-constrained hulls.
• AIT & Sea Trials: Build hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testing standards, oversee validation protocols, and lead offshore testing from early prototype phases to deployment.
• Technical Leadership: Guide a multidisciplinary engineering crew, offering direct technical troubleshooting across acoustic, electrical, and control domains.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Professional Background: 10+ years in systems engineering delivering complex physical platforms (subsea, marine, aerospace, or high-performance motorsport) across full lifecycles.
• Education: Degree in Systems Engineering, Naval Architecture, Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical background.
• Practical Skills: Deep expertise in Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT), alongside hands-on exposure to ingress protection, thermal management, shock absorption, and dynamic vibration dynamics.
• Core Requirements: Fluent command of English; citizenship in a NATO member state with clear path to security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) or subsea engineering projects.
• Track record of personal technical builds (e.g., custom robotics, motorsport engineering, or experimental aviation).
• Familiarity with high-voltage power distribution, acoustic sensor integration, or fluid dynamics modeling.

What Is Offered

• End-to-end engineering authority over platform design and performance metrics.
• €100k – €110k base salary, annual performance bonus, and stock options.
• 25 paid annual leave days, flexible work options during onboarding, relocation support to the Netherlands, and direct access to state-of-the-art testing labs.

Application Process

Submit an updated CV to apply. Candidates who satisfy the security clearance parameters and core engineering qualifications will be contacted for an initial screening interview.