Senior Software Engineer - Maritime Optimization

Job Title: Senior Software Engineer - Maritime Optimization

Level: Senior; 5+ years of professional software engineering experience

Clearance: Ability to obtain a clearance

Work Location Type: Remote, United States

Work Type: Full-time, benefits

Agency name: US Navy

BizFirst is assisting our client with recruiting a Senior Software Engineer - Maritime Optimization. This hands-on software engineering role will develop maritime route optimization, vessel performance modeling, and voyage analysis capabilities for U.S. Government and defense customers. You will refine optimization algorithms, translate vessel performance and fuel-consumption models into software, and build simulation and evaluation tools that make route recommendations clear and explainable.

Our client is an ocean technology company that designs, builds, and deploys marine sensors and combines oceanographic and underwater acoustic sensing with data and software. Its capabilities help commercial customers increase efficiency and reduce emissions, while helping government and defense stakeholders understand ocean conditions, maritime activity, and remote environments. The company has more than a decade of Navy research partnerships and is expanding its established capabilities into funded federal programs.

You will work on maritime route optimization, vessel performance modeling, and voyage analysis capabilities for U.S. Government and defense customers. This is a hands-on software engineering role working directly on software that models vessel performance and evaluates candidate maritime routes. Depending on the problem, you may refine optimization algorithms, translate vessel performance and fuel-consumption models into software, build simulation and evaluation tooling, or improve how route recommendations are scored and explained.

Develop maritime voyage optimization and route evaluation capabilities.

Model vessel performance and fuel consumption across varying operating and environmental conditions.

Account for voyage constraints, transit time, fuel efficiency, and operational considerations in route recommendations.

Improve optimization algorithms and the software that supports them.

Build simulation and evaluation capabilities to understand optimizer behavior and route quality.

Produce clear, explainable results that allow users to understand and evaluate optimization recommendations.

Collaborate with engineers, product experts, and maritime domain specialists to translate real-world problems into practical software solutions.

Work across high- and low-level languages, including Rust and Python, contributing to algorithms, models, services, APIs, testing, and related software components.

Contribute to existing technology and new software developed for government maritime applications as these capabilities evolve.

5+ years of professional software engineering experience.

Strong software engineering fundamentals and experience contributing to production software.

Experience with Python and/or a compiled language such as Rust, C++, C, or similar.

Comfort working with algorithms, data structures, and computational problems.

Ability to translate domain or mathematical concepts into maintainable, testable software.

Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset when working across engineering and domain disciplines.

Comfort working on software supporting U.S. Government and Department of Defense customers. Previous defense experience is not required.

Maritime route optimization experience is not required. Relevant experience may come from robotics, logistics, aerospace, autonomy, transportation, scientific computing, operations research, simulation, or other domains involving optimization of physical systems.

A degree in physics or a related technical field.

Experience developing optimization, modeling, or simulation software for real-world systems.

Maritime or naval domain experience.

Previous experience supporting U.S. Government or Department of Defense customers.

A personal connection to or passion for the oceans.

U.S. citizenship required.

Must be able to successfully pass a background check.

Ability to obtain a security clearance; specific level TBD.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Competitive base pay plus equity.

Medical, dental and vision coverage.

Continued learning and development stipend.

One-time home office stipend for remote team members.

Relocation bonus for team members moving to the Bay Area.

Flexible PTO, in addition to 10 company-wide office closure days; the last week of December off for everyone.

12 weeks of parental leave, plus 4 additional weeks for birthing parents.

Military leave and job protection for reservists and guard members under USERRA.

Annual company onsite week and team events throughout the year.