We are seeking an experienced Electrical Design Engineer who can own design tasks on autonomous marine control systems with minimal guidance.
You will bring a forward-thinking approach to system design, focusing on high-quality, rugged solutions, ideally drawing from a Marine or Automotive background in a similar position.
While this position is primarily a design role, you will be expected to take a hands‑on approach to developing new systems, making prototypes cables, enclosures, vessel wiring and small production runs. In this role, you will bridge the gap between new concept designs, adapting existing platforms, supporting production and system bring up.
Your work will span everything from cutting‑edge autonomous electric unmanned vessels to modifying and converting traditional combustion propulsion systems.
Key Responsibilities:
System Design and Integration
- Power Systems: Design both Low Voltage and High Voltage (DC and AC) marine electrical power systems, across various propulsion architectures.
- Control Systems: Design and integrate electrical control systems for unmanned/uncrewed marine vessels.
- Component Selection: Specify cables, connectors, enclosures, and other critical electrical components; select and integrate Commercial‑Off‑The‑Shelf (COTS) supplier equipment.
- Autonomy: Integrate autonomous navigation system components, specifying drive‑by‑wire throttle and steering actuation systems alongside core sensor arrays (Radar, LiDAR, RTK GPS, etc.).
Documentation, CAD and Production Lifecycle
- Engineering Drawings: Generate detailed 2D CAD production drawings and Bills of Materials (BOM).
- Configuration Control: Manage the controlled issuing of drawings for production and capture all as‑built details to facilitate future builds.
- Technical Writing: Author clear technical documentation, including test/acceptance schedules and build or user guidance material.
- Lifecycle Management: Optimize existing designs for production and repeat builds, incorporating modifications for efficiency or component obsolescence.
Prototyping, Testing and Commissioning
- Hands‑on Support: Assist with hands‑on prototyping and hardware debugging as required; providing technical support and guidance to workshop staff.
- Testing Infrastructure: Create custom test rigs for design proving, prototyping, and ad‑hoc equipment trials.
- Commissioning: Oversee control system commissioning, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), and Customer Acceptance Trials (including support during sea trials).
Cross-Functional Collaboratio n
- Estimation: Work closely with sales and project engineers to estimate resources, component costs, and engineering timescales.
Required Skills and Expertise
-
Marine Standards: Working knowledge of, and ability to design to, marine electrical standards and classification society requirements (e.g., Workboat
Code 3).
- Communication Protocols: Familiarity with modern communication and serial bus protocols (CAN, RS422, Ethernet, etc.).
-
Harness Design: Competence in specifying industrial/marine-grade connectors,
distribution blocks, fusing, and designing complex, rugged wiring harnesses.
- RF Systems: Basic understanding of RF equipment, including marine radios, cabling, antennas, RF connectors, and routing best practices.
- Lifecycle Ownership: Proven experience taking complex vessel electrical designs from initial concept (or adaptation) through to operational craft and
- High-Voltage (HVDC) Expertise: Direct experience managing high-current distribution, busbar design, insulation monitoring, and isolation tracking for high-voltage DC systems, with an understanding of charging protocols and design limitations.
