Electrical Systems Engineer

Clippership is a maritime robotics company whose mission is to build a new, better way of transporting cargo across oceans, from the keel up. If successful, we will open new trade routes, revitalize small ports, and fundamentally change the way intercontinental trade is conducted, while dramatically reducing the environmental impact of ocean cargo transport.

To achieve this, we design, build, and operate compact, autonomous cargo ships whose primary propulsion is wind, harnessed using a state-of-the-art rigid wing system.

Our first-generation vessels are designed to transport goods between Europe and North America safely and efficiently, without burning fuel. With our first full-scale hull on order and a full book of tendered cargo, we are accelerating development of our full-scale wing system to meet our wing–hull integration window and begin carrying customer cargo across the Atlantic.

We are a tight-knit, fast-moving team made up of world-class talent from Tesla, Formula 1, special forces, and NASA. On any given day, you might find us building large-scale actuated wings, developing weather-aware collision-avoidance algorithms, or offshore tracking down 10-ton autonomous sailing vessels. Join us for the adventure of a lifetime!

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As an Electrical Systems Engineer, you will own the electrical systems across our autonomous vessel fleet, from architecture and component selection through integration, debugging, and sea trials.

• 48V power storage and energy systems
• Power distribution and protection systems
• Sensor and data networks
• Electro-hydraulic actuation systems
• Navigation and autonomy hardware
• Cargo handling systems

You will identify and select marine- or industrial-grade COTS electrical components suitable for harsh marine environments. You will design protection and control architectures for onboard power systems and integrate sensors, actuators, and monitoring systems communicating over industrial protocols.

This is a highly hands-on role involving rapid prototyping, wiring, testing, and debugging, both on the bench and during sea trials.

You will collaborate closely with vendors to source and qualify components, and coordinate with shipyards and classification societies to certify and integrate vessel systems.

This is a fully on-site role in the Bay Area. International travel is expected during the vessel integration and commissioning phases.

• Strong educational and/or professional background in Electrical Engineering
• 2+ years of industry experience working with power electronics or energy storage systems
• Experience configuring, testing, and debugging firmware for sensors and actuators
• Experience working with marine or industrial electronic systems
• A first-principles engineering mindset
• Excitement about seeing systems you build operate in the real world

• Experience designing electrical systems for marine environments
• Experience with industrial networking protocols such as CAN, NMEA, or Modbus
• Experience in robotics or autonomous systems
• Familiarity with functional safety or mission-critical systems
• Programming experience in C++ or Python and familiarity with Linux

• Opportunity to make an outsized impact as an early hire in a mission-critical role
• Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and meaningful equity
• Frequent opportunities to test and operate the systems you build on the water

• In-person role based in Redwood City, CA
• Authorization to work in the United States is required