Diesel Technician, Instructor

TL;DR

Diesel Technician, Instructor (Marine ASV): Design, develop, and deliver advanced technical training programs on diesel propulsion systems for autonomous surface vessels with an accent on hands-on maintenance, diagnostics, repair, and troubleshooting. Focus on creating scalable curricula, leading instruction for internal teams and customers, and supporting field operations and mission readiness.

Location: On-site in San Diego, CA or Virginia Beach, Virginia. Requires “U.S. Person” status (U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, or protected asylee/refugee).

Company

Leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, developing state-of-the-art autonomous surface vessels for maritime operations.

What you will do

• Lead instructor-led training, hands-on labs, and field events on diesel engine maintenance, procedures, and troubleshooting.
• Develop and refine training materials, lesson plans, SOPs, and practical exercises based on real-world workflows.
• Deliver customer onboarding, act as technical advisor, and gather feedback for process improvements.
• Support on-site/on-water training, diagnose issues in operational environments, and incorporate lessons into curricula.
• Perform routine maintenance, repairs, inspections, and overhauls on diesel systems using diagnostic tools.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Product, and Operations teams to align training with system updates and foster knowledge transfer.

Requirements

• 4–8+ years experience as diesel technician, preferably marine or heavy equipment; Marine Diesel/Volvo VODIA strongly preferred.
• Proven experience diagnosing, repairing, and maintaining diesel engines and systems.
• Strong mechanical aptitude; ability to read technical manuals, diagrams, schematics.
• Experience with diagnostic tools (scan tools, multimeters, oscilloscopes).
• Demonstrated success in technical instruction, field maintenance, or mechanical leadership.
• Ability to travel up to 50%; physically demanding work including lifting 50 lbs, working in marine environments.

Nice to have

• Experience in maritime, defense, or regulated environments.
• Prior training/mentoring experience.
• Vocational training or certification in diesel mechanics.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision insurance (100% employee premium, 80% dependents).
• Generous PTO, holidays, paid parental leave.
• 401(k) with company match, stock options, life/disability insurance.
• Pet insurance, free lunch, unlimited drinks/snacks in office.