About Shift Coastal
DESIGN. BUILD. INTEGRATE. DEPLOY. SUSTAIN.
Shift integrates unmanned surface platforms, sensors, payloads, effectors, autonomy software, communications, and command infrastructure into mission-ready pan-domain coastal systems. We provide the platforms, integration, field services, and sustainment needed to turn autonomous technology into operational capability.
Overview
A blended technical role supporting deployed Shift Unmanned Surface Vessel systems through field service, in-service support, troubleshooting, customer support, and hands-on systems integration. The role bridges engineering, operations, and customer delivery including ensuring vessels, sensors, payloads, software, communications, and control interfaces are configured, tested, supported, and improved in real operating environments. This role is responsible for feeding field lessons back into design, documentation, software, training, and sustainment.
Duties:
- Provide field service support for Shift platforms, including OceanSled systems, sensors, payloads, communications equipment, autonomy components, control systems, and support equipment
- Prepare platforms and equipment for deployment including inspection, configuration, charging, firmware/software checks, payload installation, loadout and spares planning, and operational readiness testing
- Deploy to customer sites, coastal operating areas, ports, marinas, field exercises, and test ranges; support launch, recovery, mission execution, operator support, and post-mission inspection
- Support acceptance testing, field trials, customer demonstrations, training events, and operational exercises, maintaining professional customer-facing conduct throughout
- Provide first-line and second-line technical support for deployed customer systems, including troubleshooting, maintenance, configuration updates, warranty/service cases, replacement parts, and escalation to engineering
- Diagnose system faults across mechanical, electrical, software, communications, networking, and operator-interface layers
- Maintain system configuration records, service records, troubleshooting logs, support tickets, maintenance logs, and after-action reports for vessels, payloads, electronics, batteries, networking equipment, and software versions
- Track recurring defects, reliability issues, and operator feedback; contribute to sustainment planning including spares, preventative maintenance, field repair procedures, and technical bulletins
- Support customer training and commissioning including system setup, basic troubleshooting, mission preparation, and field limitations
- Assist with the integration of hardware, software, sensors, networking equipment, payloads, field computers, radios, cameras, and control interfaces
- Support development and testing of integrated system workflows including vessel control, payload control, video, telemetry, networking, mission planning, and customer dashboard interfaces and software/hardware integration testing before release for demonstrations or customer use
- Work with software and engineering teams to test new features in realistic field conditions and identify bugs, integration issues, usability problems, and field-driven product improvements
- Document repeatable system configurations for mission packages (ISR, security patrol, environmental monitoring, inspection, defence trials) and help build test scripts, troubleshooting guides, deployment checklists, and field validation procedures
- Feed lessons learned from field operations into product development, quality assurance, technical support processes, and future design improvements
Key Skills & Knowledge:
- A practical multi-discipline troubleshooter — able to diagnose faults across mechanical, electrical, software, communications, networking, and operator-interface layers
- Comfortable with laptops, IP networks, radios, cameras, sensors, batteries, connectors, embedded systems, and field equipment
- Able to read technical documentation, follow wiring/configuration diagrams, and produce clear field notes
- Strong practical judgement in outdoor, marine, shop, and customer-facing environments
- Able to communicate technical issues clearly to both engineers and non-technical customers
Required Skills:
- Marine systems, robotics, electronics, IP networking, embedded systems, field service equipment
Important Skills:
- USVs/UAVs/ROVs, marine electronics, C4ISR, autonomy systems, IP cameras / RTSP video, radios, LTE/satellite communications, GPS/GNSS, telemetry, embedded controllers, software development environments (Linux, APIs, GitHub)
Unusual physical demands or working conditions:
- Regular outdoor and field work in marine environments, including customer sites, coastal operating areas, ports, marinas, field exercises, and test ranges; exposure to wet/extreme weather; travel and deployments as required.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: $65,000.00-$85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Vision care
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Nanaimo, BC V9R 4Y7: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Work Location: In person
