- Robot type
- Marine and Space · Defense
- Location
- New OrleansLouisianaUSA
- Job type
- Manufacturing
- Posted
- Aug 5, 2026
Full-time
Autonomous Sea Trials Test Planner
Job description
The Autonomous Sea Trials Test Planner is responsible for planning, executing, evaluating, and documenting pier-side and underway autonomous vessel test events. This role translates autonomy and control-system requirements into safe, repeatable sea trial procedures; leads onboard execution with vessel crew and engineering teams; and produces internal and class ready trial packages including test plans, SITREPs, test reports, discrepancy tracking, and corrective action documentation. The role interfaces daily with software development teams, vessel operators, vendors, and internal stakeholders to verify autonomy functionality and rapidly converge issues to resolution.
Job responsibilities
- Author and maintain autonomous sea trial test plans covering pier-side and underway verification of autonomy behaviors, machinery control, navigation control, and integrated voyage execution.
- Build test matrices mapping requirements to objective pass/fail criteria, safety controls, data capture needs, and contingency actions.
- Develop event-ready documentation packages including test cards, run sheets, communications plans, safety briefs, and go/no-go checklists.
- Serve as on-scene test lead for autonomy trials, directing real-time execution and ensuring safety-of-test.
- Lead verification of system functionality during operational events to confirm performance against acceptance criteria.
- Coordinate test readiness across vessel condition, maintenance status, and trial prerequisites.
- Establish required logs, timestamps, system states, and annotations to ensure complete data capture.
- Track issues using structured defect workflows including reproducibility steps, severity, and corrective actions.
Job requirements
- 7+ years in test/validation, trials, port engineering, or operational readiness roles for complex systems.
- Demonstrated experience leading pier-side and underway test execution.
- Working knowledge of shipboard activities and vessel readiness.
- Experience tracking sea trial defects, recording them and producing corrective actions.
- Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional communication skills.
- Ability to work onboard vessels for prolonged periods of time. Scheduling to be determined during test cycles.
- Experience supporting builder’s trials and customer trials on autonomous platforms.
- Experience coordinating with classification societies and shipyard periods.