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Shipyard Build Strategy Engineer

Austin, Texas
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

Job Overview

The Build Strategy & Throughput engineer support defining how ships are built in a way that directly informs how the shipyard itself is designed. This role sits at the intersection of product definition, build strategy, and facility architecture, ensuring that buildings, cranes, transport routes, and production flow are optimized for throughput, repeatability, and scalability.

This role exists to ensure that facility design is driven by production logic rather than forcing build strategy to adapt to fixed infrastructure.

Core Responsibilities

  • Define block-based build strategies explicitly compatible with facility geometry and crane systems

  • Establish block size, weight, and envelope targets that optimize throughput and flow

  • Translate vessel class, annual build rate, and steel tonnage into facility capacity requirements

  • Define pre-outfitting rules that maximize upstream labor and minimize shipboard work

  • Identify and eliminate facility-driven throughput bottlenecks early in design

  • Ensure material flow supports parallel workstreams and predictable sequencing

  • Integrate build strategy across facilities, heavy lift, manufacturing engineering, and design teams

Required Experience & Skills

  • Experience in block-based ship construction or heavy modular fabrication environments

  • Strong understanding of crane-driven production systems and facility constraints

  • Demonstrated throughput and production-flow mindset

  • Ability to work early with incomplete information to shape irreversible facility decisions

  • Comfort operating at the interface of design, facilities, and operations

Preferred Background

  • Experience influencing shipyard layouts, crane strategies, or major facility decisions

  • Background in shipbuilding and facility layout design

  • Experience in 3D modeling work flows

Benefits

  • Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans covering a range of services

  • Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage for routine dental check-ups, orthodontics, and vision care

  • Saronic pays 100% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents

  • Time Off: Generous PTO and Holidays

  • Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents

  • Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses

  • Retirement Plan: 401(k) plan

  • Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success

  • Life and Disability Insurance: Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage

  • Additional Perks: Free lunch benefit and unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office

Saronic CCPA Notice for Candidates and California Employees

This role requires access to export-controlled information or items that require “U.S. Person” status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a “U.S. Person”: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.

About Saronic

Saronic

Saronic is one of the fastest-growing defense technology companies focused on autonomous maritime systems for the U.S. military. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company builds intelligent Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs) designed to improve maritime surveillance, operational reach, and force protection in contested environments. Saronic is helping modernize naval operations through AI-powered unmanned vessels capable of supporting missions ranging from reconnaissance and logistics to distributed maritime operations.

For job seekers, Saronic offers opportunities to work on some of the most advanced technologies in maritime defense, including autonomy, robotics, AI, naval architecture, software engineering, manufacturing, and mission operations. The company hires across mechanical engineering, embedded systems, autonomy software, marine design, production, and field testing—making it especially attractive to engineers, veterans, maritime professionals, and builders who want hands-on ownership of mission-critical systems.

Unlike traditional shipbuilders or legacy defense contractors, Saronic operates with a startup-style engineering culture centered around speed, rapid prototyping, and real-world deployment. Employees work closely across hardware, software, and field operations to design, test, and scale autonomous vessels faster than traditional defense timelines, giving team members direct exposure to high-impact products supporting national security missions.

As the U.S. military increases investment in autonomous naval systems and maritime modernization, Saronic continues to grow rapidly through major funding rounds, Navy contracts, and manufacturing expansion. For professionals seeking a high-growth defense company at the intersection of AI, robotics, and naval technology, Saronic is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting employers in the defense innovation ecosystem.

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