Job Description

AUV Prototype & Support Technician (Multi Skilled) – Contract 6 Months - Southampton

We are a marine robotics company developing an innovative Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) system, with a vision of deploying swarms of AUVs to acquire high-quality seabed data from a range of sensors. Applications span defence, commercial, scientific, and environmental sectors, with systems designed to operate in water depths of up to 3,000 metres.

We are now seeking an AUV technician to play a critical role in supporting our prototyping, test & integration and field trials. This role could easily suit an ex Royal Navy Engineer / Artificer.

THE ROLE

The AUV technician will be responsible for operating, maintaining, testing, and building AUV systems, as well as supporting field trials and early customer projects. You will work closely with the core engineering team to ensure systems are reliable, well-tested, and ready for deployment.

Field testing will typically occur several times per month, with the remainder of time spent on assembly, diagnostics, rework, preparation, and support activities.

TASKS / DUITES / KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Production and Assembly

Assemble AUV systems, including:

Mechanical assembly

Pressure vessels and sealing systems

Electrical integration and cabling

Support low-volume, one-off or small-batch production

Document build procedures and improvements

Electronics & Diagnostics

Perform advanced electronic diagnostics and fault finding

Competent in the use of laboratory equipment such as:

Oscilloscopes

Logic analysers

Multi-meters and power supplies

Comfortable performing PCB rework down to 0603 components and 100 pin 1.27mm pitch components.

Diagnose issues at board and system level

Perform acceptance testing and design-proving tests

Write and modify embedded C code for fault finding and hardware testing

Trials & Operations

Operate the AUV during trials, demonstrations, and tests

Prepare vehicles and support equipment before deployments

Perform post-trial inspection, fault finding, and maintenance

Work safely in marine and offshore environments

Promote safe working practices and ensure HSE requirements are followed during trials and technical activities.

Client & Project Support

Support client-facing demonstrator

Assist with system setup, deployment, and troubleshooting

Represent the company professionally during trials and demos

REQUIRED SKILLS & PROVEN ABILITY

Essential

Strong hands-on experience with electronics test and fault finding

Confident using oscilloscopes and other diagnostic tools

Comfortable performing PCB rework skills down to 0603 components

Good mechanical assembly skills

Happy working independently in a small engineering team

Desirables

Proven ability operating in marine environments (e.g. ex-forces, offshore, oil & gas, subsea, or marine robotics)

Pressure vessels and subsea systems

Leading or coordinating field trials

Any embedded C programming experience for testing and diagnostics