The posting
We are seeking a full-time Electrical Technician to build, test, troubleshoot, and integrate the electrical systems that power and control our autonomous marine robots. You will work hands-on across the robot's electrical system—from building cable harnesses and reworking PCBs to validating sensors, assembling waterproof electronics, troubleshooting complete robots, and supporting repairs in the field.
CRABI is building autonomous robots that live aboard commercial ships and clean their hulls while they are underway. Marine biofouling creates enormous hydrodynamic drag, forcing ships to burn more fuel to maintain speed. By keeping hulls continuously clean, our robots can eliminate a major source of wasted energy across the global fleet—reducing fuel consumption, operating costs, and ultimately maritime CO2 emissions by more than 100 million tons per year. Building a robot that operates underwater on the hull of a moving ship creates electrical challenges very different from those of a typical indoor robot. Electronics need to survive water, vibration, corrosion, high currents, powerful magnetic fields, and repeated deployment in a harsh marine environment.
You will work directly with our electrical, mechanical, firmware, GNC, and test engineers to turn engineering designs into reliable hardware. This is a hands-on role with significant ownership over the quality of the systems you build. You will help identify problems, determine their root causes, implement repairs and improvements, and feed what we learn during assembly and field testing back into the next generation of the robot.
US work authorization is a precondition of employment. The company will not consider candidates who require sponsorship for a work-authorized visa, now or in the future.
Job Responsibilities: Build, modify, inspect, and repair electrical cable harnesses and robot wiring assemblies. Assemble, solder, rework, and repair PCBAs, including fine-pitch components, jumper wires, and board-level modifications. Perform functional testing and validation of PCBAs, sensors, actuators, power electronics, and other electrical hardware. Troubleshoot electrical problems from the component and board level through complete integrated robotic systems. Assemble, inspect, and validate waterproof electrical systems, including O-rings, gaskets, cable glands, penetrators, connectors, and sealed electronics enclosures. Perform mechanical and electromechanical assembly in support of complete robot builds. Use oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, electronic loads, and other test equipment to diagnose and validate electrical systems. Develop and maintain test procedures, assembly procedures, inspection criteria, and build records. Work with engineers to identify recurring build and reliability issues and improve designs, tooling, assembly processes, and test methods. Support complete robot assembly, lab testing, field testing, and electrical repairs, including occasional work aboard or around marine vessels.
Required Qualifications: Strong hands-on electronics assembly, rework, and troubleshooting skills. Proficiency with surface-mount soldering, including 0402 passives and small QFN components. Proficiency with fine-pitch PCB rework, including installation of small jumper wires, component replacement, and trace repair. Experience building, inspecting, modifying, and troubleshooting cable harnesses. Proficiency with multimeters, oscilloscopes, bench power supplies, and other common electrical test equipment. Ability to read and work from electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, PCB documentation, and mechanical assembly drawings. Ability to systematically troubleshoot electrical and electromechanical systems and identify root causes rather than simply replace failed components. Comfortable performing hands-on mechanical assembly and using common hand, power, and digital fabrication tools. Strong attention to detail and commitment to consistent workmanship and documentation. Ability to work safely around high magnetic fields and other hazards associated with prototype robotic systems.
Preferred Qualifications: Experience selecting and assembling crimp contacts, terminals, and connectors from JST, Molex, TE Connectivity, Amphenol, or similar connector families. Experience with waterproof, marine, subsea, or environmentally sealed electrical connectors and assemblies. Experience assembling and inspecting O-ring seals, cable glands, penetrators, or sealed electrical enclosures. Experience with epoxies, conformal coatings, potting compounds, adhesives, and other electronics protection methods. Experience building and troubleshooting electrical systems containing motors, encoders, sensors, batteries, power electronics, and embedded controllers. Previous hands-on build experience with robotic, automotive, aerospace, marine, industrial, or other complex electromechanical systems. Experience developing or executing production, acceptance, or validation test procedures. Basic CAD experience (Siemens NX preferred). Basic Linux or command-line experience.
Bonus Qualifications: Experience with high-power PCB assembly and rework. Experience with batteries, motor controllers, or other high-current DC electrical systems. Familiarity with CAN bus, Ethernet, RS-485, USB, or similar communication interfaces and experience troubleshooting them on physical hardware. Experience with environmental, pressure, leak, vibration, or other reliability testing. Experience diagnosing intermittent electrical faults, grounding problems, EMI/EMC issues, or communication failures. Experience building, maintaining, or repairing robots or other complex vehicles in a field environment.
