Senior USV Technician - Maritime Uncrewed Systems

Senior Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) Maintenance Technician

Location: Naval Base Ventura County, California
Work Type: Full-Time, On-Site
Clearance: Active SECRET or ability to obtain SECRET
Compensation: $140,000 to $171,000 based on years of directly relevant experience
Benefits: Employer health coverage, 401k, and relocation assistance for candidates outside the local area

About Fathom Robotics

Fathom Robotics provides operations, maintenance, training, and engineering services for uncrewed maritime systems supporting U.S. Government experimentation and operational programs.

Role Overview

This is a hands-on maintenance role, approximately 80% maintenance and technical work and 20% operations and mission planning. You will serve as the primary readiness authority for an assigned fleet of diesel, gasoline, and electric propulsion Uncrewed Surface Vehicles at Naval Base Ventura County, with direct accountability for readiness, configuration, and operational outcomes.

You will perform maintenance alongside technicians, establish maintenance standards, and make readiness recommendations prior to operations. The position requires mechanical ownership, sound judgment, and disciplined documentation. We invest in training the right person on systems they have not worked with before.

Why This Role

Uncrewed maritime systems are moving fast. PMSR is one of a handful of ranges in the country running live UMS operations at scale: extended at-sea missions, real payload integration cycles, and a fleet that is actively growing. The maintenance and readiness discipline established during this stand-up will directly shape what these platforms can do and how reliably they do it. If you want to be close to where the technology is actually being pushed, this is one of the few places to do it.

Program Conditions

The program supports a fleet of 10+ operational USV platforms and operates under a structured duty rotation during active operations. Outside scheduled test events, the position follows a standard 40-hour work week. The effort is part of a multi-year funded Navy program and is supported by a team-based maintenance environment that includes technicians and engineering reach-back support. This role is part of a five-person senior team led by a UMS Fleet Director, with peer Senior Technicians assigned to other platform series.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical readiness authority for assigned USV platforms
• Perform hands-on maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair across propulsion, electrical, power, and communications systems
• Build and manage preventive maintenance and inspection programs
• Investigate failures, determine root cause, and provide go/no-go recommendations and risk assessments to government leads
• Support launch/recovery and underway operations during test periods
• Maintain accurate maintenance documentation and configuration records
• Coordinate with OEM representatives, payload owners, and range control as the platform-level point of contact
• Support mechanical fabrication and payload installation tasks as mission requirements evolve, including welding, generator installation, and bracket fabrication

Required Qualifications

• Active SECRET clearance or ability to obtain SECRET. Fathom will support candidates through the clearance process.
• 6+ years of experience maintaining complex mechanical or electro-mechanical systems, with at least 2 years in a senior or lead maintenance role
• Demonstrated experience building or managing a preventive maintenance program, not just executing one
• Experience making and documenting go/no-go maintenance decisions under schedule pressure
• Strong documentation discipline and attention to detail
• Ability to work full-time on-site at Naval Base Ventura County

Preferred Backgrounds

• Maritime, aviation, or expeditionary operational maintenance environments
• Diesel, gasoline, electric, or hybrid propulsion systems
• CAN bus or CAN messaging experience
• NMEA protocol familiarity
• Basic networking experience
• Prior uncrewed, remote, or autonomous system exposure
• Training or mentoring junior technicians
• Defense or government test range operations

Pay: $140,000.00 - $171,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Relocation assistance
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Are you a US citizen?
• Do you have a SECRET clearance or ability to obtain SECRET?
• Are you willing to relocate for work full-time at Naval Base Ventura County, California?

Work Location: In person