Surveyor Engineering, Surveying in Plymouth

From the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on earth, to surging shorelines and anywhere in-between, we make the impossible possible through our continuous passion for innovation. Our people design, engineer and manufacture technologies that are enabling our customers to discover, navigate, measure, detect and communicate in the toughest environment on earth: Our oceans. We’ve been actively developing the technology to make the oceans accessible for over 50 years and we’re only just getting started.

We value different ways of thinking. Whether you think in code, patterns, systems, or steps, your unique perspective is important to us. We’re looking for a Surveyor to join our Technology Services team.

About the Role

This is a varied, hands-on technical role combining offshore survey operations, subsea positioning, customer support, system testing, data analysis and technical problem-solving. You’ll become a trusted technical expert for our customers, supporting Sonardyne systems both remotely and in the field and helping customers successfully deploy our technology in real-world offshore environments.

If you’re technically curious, enjoy solving problems and would rather occasionally be on a vessel putting technology through its paces than spend your entire career behind a desk, this could be the opportunity for you.

The role

Working within our Technology Services team, you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of Sonardyne’s core hardware and software systems and use that knowledge to provide expert technical and operational support to customers around the world. One day you might be helping a customer troubleshoot a technical issue remotely from Blackbushe. The next you could be planning an LBL operation, analysing INS data or preparing for an offshore mobilisation. You could then find yourself onboard a vessel supporting customer operations, participating in system trials or helping evaluate one of Sonardyne’s latest technologies.

You’ll work closely with our experienced Senior Engineers and Surveyors while building the knowledge and experience to become a recognised technical expert in Sonardyne systems.

What you’ll be doing

• You’ll provide first-line technical and operational support for customers using Sonardyne hardware, software and subsea positioning systems.
• You’ll support customers both proactively and reactively – from troubleshooting immediate operational problems to reviewing systems and recommending improvements.
• Provide offshore equipment and survey support, including opportunities to operate and support INS and acoustic positioning systems.
• Support customer operations onboard vessels and offshore installations.
• Undertake LBL planning and analysis, INS simulations and data processing.
• Participate in customer trials both onshore and offshore.
• Support system testing and evaluate the offshore performance of newly developed Sonardyne products.
• Deliver technical workshops, presentations and product-specific training.
• Produce technical reports, customer visit reports, guidance notes and other technical support material.
• Work closely with Engineering, Software, Hardware, Systems Test, Sales, Business Development and our international regional teams.
• Feed customer and operational experience back into Sonardyne to help us continually improve our products and systems.
• Support the introduction and launch of new technologies.
• Participate in industry, customer and marketing events, helping represent Sonardyne and our technical capabilities.
• Contribute to our customer support rota, including occasional remote shift support for live customer operations.

Most importantly, you’ll become someone our customers can rely upon when they’re operating Sonardyne technology in demanding real-world environments.

About you

We’re looking for someone with experience providing technical support within a survey, offshore or related engineering environment. You’ll be comfortable dealing directly with customers and have the confidence to investigate technical problems, work with specialists across the business and communicate solutions clearly.

You’ll also bring:

• Strong technical curiosity and a genuine desire to understand how systems work.
• Excellent problem-solving skills.
• The ability to communicate technical information clearly, both verbally and in writing.
• Confidence producing technical reports, support documentation and guidance material.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to build strong relationships with customers and colleagues.
• Flexibility, resilience and the ability to remain calm when supporting live operations.
• A strong commitment to customer service and technical excellence.

A degree or equivalent qualification in Hydrographic Surveying, Geomatics, Electronics or another relevant discipline would be beneficial, although we’ll also consider candidates who have developed equivalent knowledge through practical industry experience.

We’d particularly like to hear from you if you have experience or knowledge of:

• Offshore positioning systems and associated software.
• LBL and/or USBL acoustic positioning.
• INS and inertial navigation systems.
• Sonardyne or comparable third-party subsea positioning technologies.
• Sonardyne Fusion or Ranger systems.
• Offshore survey operations aboard vessels or rigs.
• Supporting customers directly within offshore environments.

Previous Sonardyne product knowledge would certainly be useful, but it isn’t essential. What matters is that you have the technical foundations, curiosity and appetite to develop that expertise.

This role will take you places

This isn’t a purely office-based technical support position. International and offshore travel is an important part of the role. Typically, you could undertake up to four offshore support trips per year, usually lasting around two weeks, alongside approximately six additional onshore customer or industry visits, typically lasting around one week. You’ll therefore need to be comfortable travelling internationally and working offshore, and you’ll be required to undertake the appropriate offshore training and medical certification.

For the right person, that’s also one of the biggest attractions of the position. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with customers, see Sonardyne technology being used in real-world operations and develop technical experience that simply can’t be gained from behind a desk.

Why Sonardyne?

For over 50 years, Sonardyne has been pioneering underwater technology used across Ocean Science, Energy, Defence, Offshore Renewables and Marine Robotics. Our technology helps customers navigate, communicate, position, monitor and understand the underwater world – often in environments where reliability isn’t simply desirable, it’s essential.

Joining our Technology Services team means becoming part of the link between the people who develop that technology and the customers who depend upon it. You’ll learn from experienced specialists, work with sophisticated subsea systems and develop expertise across technologies used around the world.

If you’re an offshore surveyor, hydrographic professional or technically minded engineer who enjoys technology, problem-solving, customers and getting out into the field, we’d love to hear from you. Come and help us make sure world-class subsea technology delivers world-class results.