Mission Support Engineer

Saronic•San Diego, CA

About The Position

We are seeking a Mission Support Engineer â Software to ensure the operational success of Saronicâs autonomous systems in customer environments. This role is focused on software readiness, system stability, troubleshooting, and customer mission support, serving as a critical bridge between deployed systems, customer operations, and internal engineering teams. Unlike forward-deployed or R&D-focused engineering roles, this position emphasizes operational execution over feature development. You will work closely with customers, Field Service Representatives (FSRs), depot teams, and internal software engineers to support system bring-up, diagnose issues, and ensure deployed software performs reliably during real-world missions. You will play a key role in enabling customer successâkeeping systems running, restoring capability when issues arise, and translating operational feedback into actionable improvements for Saronicâs software teams.

Requirements

Strong software engineering background with experience in Python, C++, Rust, or similar languages
Experience supporting deployed software systems in operational, fielded, or customer-facing environments
Ability to diagnose and troubleshoot complex systems using logs, telemetry, and diagnostics
Understanding of networking fundamentals including TCP/IP, UDP, and distributed systems behavior
Comfortable working across software, hardware, and operational teams
Willingness to travel up to 50% to Saronic and customer locations
Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance

Nice To Haves

Background in robotics, autonomy, embedded systems, or complex distributed platforms
Experience supporting systems in maritime, defense, aerospace, or other mission-critical domains
Familiarity with sensors such as cameras, radar, GPS, and IMUs from an integration or support perspective
Experience working alongside field service, depot, or sustainment teams
Strong written and verbal communication skills for customer-facing and internal reporting contexts

Responsibilities

Support customer activities during system activation, operational readiness programs, training events, and live missions
Participate in system bring-up activities alongside depot teams and Field Service Representatives
Provide software support during customer operations, both on-site and remotely
Ensure deployed systems are configured, validated, and mission-ready prior to operational use
Perform remote and on-site troubleshooting of deployed system software, diagnostics, and telemetry
Analyze logs, system state, and network behavior to identify root causes of software issues
Support recovery actions including configuration corrections, restarts, updates, or rollbacks as needed
Escalate complex issues appropriately while minimizing mission impact and operational risk
Validate software baselines, configurations, and dependencies for mission use
Support software updates, patches, and configuration changes in controlled operational environments
Monitor system health and performance to proactively identify risks to mission execution
Operate with a strong bias toward safety, stability, and predictability in customer environments
Serve as a software-focused technical point of contact for customers during deployments and operations
Assist operators in understanding system behavior, limitations, and recovery procedures
Work in secure and controlled environments in accordance with customer and program requirements
Capture and synthesize customer feedback, operational issues, and mission observations
Develop structured internal updates and reports based on field experience
Partner with internal software teams to translate operational issues into actionable improvements
Contribute to continuous improvement of software supportability, usability, and reliability
Document troubleshooting workflows, common failure modes, and recovery procedures
Contribute to operational best practices for deployment, support, and sustainment
Help improve internal readiness, support, and mission execution processes over time