Marine Recovery Engineer

At Stoke, we believe a thriving space economy will enable a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable future here on Earth. That is why we’re building Nova, our fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle. Designed for daily flight, Nova tackles the core challenges of space transportation by reducing cost, increasing availability, and improving reliability. By radically lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence, we’re helping create a truly scalable space industry.

Our team is mission-driven, collaborative, and empowered to take ownership of their work. If you want to work alongside some of the most dedicated and talented people on Earth, we’d love to have you join us.

The Role

Reusable systems with frequent launch cadence are the key to connecting Earth and space, and a reliable recovery system is integral to a fully reusable launch vehicle. As Marine Recovery Engineer, you will build Stoke’s capability to locate, capture, and recover Nova flight hardware from the open ocean and return it safely to port.

There is no established playbook. You will develop recovery techniques, select and adapt the vessels, write the procedures, and then go offshore and run the operation yourself. You’ll own the work from CONOPS through commissioning and live recovery campaigns, as part of a small team spanning Florida and Washington.

This role is a fit if you:

• Have personally planned and led non-routine offshore operations such as salvage, at-sea retrieval, heavy-lift, or towing, where you made the calls on deck rather than supporting someone else’s plan
• Can engineer the solution (rigging calculations, lift plans, stability, structural loads) and then execute it at sea
• Are comfortable building procedures and techniques from first principles when nothing off the shelf fits

This role is probably not a fit if:

• Your offshore experience is primarily routine vessel operations, crewing, or executing established procedures
• Your engineering experience is primarily office-based design without significant time offshore or involved in unique operations.
• You’re looking for a project management or vessel management position
• You are not prepared to relocate to Cape Canaveral and spend extended periods offshore

Responsibilities

• Develop and own recovery CONOPS for retrieving flight hardware from the ocean environment across a range of sea states, scenarios, and operational conditions
• Develop and prove out unconventional at-sea capture, lifting, securing, and transit techniques for recovering floating hardware
• Plan and lead offshore recovery test and demonstration campaigns, iterating rapidly on technique and equipment to build the operational maturity needed to eventually support full recovery
• Lead vessel strategy: identify, charter, and integrate support vessels and associated offshore equipment suited to each recovery scenario
• Serve as the engineering lead for recovery hardware and systems, providing oversight across structural, mechanical, rigging, lifting, and operational disciplines
• Develop safety cases, risk assessments, and operational procedures for offshore crews
• Interface directly with external vendors, regulatory bodies, and classification societies (United States Coast Guard (USCG), American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), etc.)
• Author, review, and approve test and operational procedures
• Develop and manage technical specifications
• Provide technical direction for operations personnel
• Coordinate across multi-discipline engineering and operations across Florida and Washington
• Develop an innate understanding of the Nova launch vehicle and ensure recovery systems enable rapid return-to-launch

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on offshore operations experience, with direct involvement in salvage, marine recovery, heavy-lift, towing, or at-sea retrieval of hardware
• Demonstrated experience chartering and directing support vessels and crews for non-routine offshore operations
• Hands-on experience with offshore lifting, crane operations, rigging, and/or towing operations
• Proven ability to develop and execute recovery or salvage operations from first principles in dynamic, ambiguous conditions at sea
• Experience adapting commercial or off-the-shelf vessels and equipment to new uses in lieu of purpose-built, long-lead assets
• Bachelor's degree in naval architecture, marine engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar field
• Strong engineering fundamentals across multiple disciplines (naval architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, etc.)
• Proven hands-on experience building, operating, or troubleshooting complex systems in a marine environment
• Ability to troubleshoot problems and implement solutions real time
• Ability to prioritize and execute
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Ability to lead and follow
• Willing to relocate to Cape Canaveral, FL
• Willingness and ability to travel, including internationally, and TDY (Temporary Duty) from days to weeks offshore
• Ability to pass USSF background check for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
• Ability to hold and maintain a TWIC card
• Ability to hold a Merchant Mariner Credential

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in a related role engineering, building, and/or operating high-performing systems in the maritime, offshore, or salvage industry
• Direct experience recovering high-value, sensitive, or non-standard objects from the water (e.g., salvage, debris field recovery, subsea search and recovery)
• A genuine interest in aerospace and a desire to contribute to spaceflight
• Experience working directly with IACS surveyors
• Experience working with U.S. Coast Guard and Port Authorities

Benefits

• Equity - We know that our employees are the reason we succeed. To give everyone a stake in our future, we are pleased to offer equity in the form of stock options to all regular, full-time employees. 
• Comprehensive benefits program including subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance 
• Company-paid life and disability insurance 
• 401(k) plan with employer match 
• 4 weeks’ Paid Time Off  
• Holidays - 10 days (including an end-of-year closure) 
• Paid Family/Parental Leave  
• On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend (depending on location) 
• Dog friendly offices! 

Compensation

Target Levels:

• Level 3 Range: $129,150 - $193,620
• Level 4 Range: $151,305 - $252,105

Our job posts are intentionally written to attract a wide variety of experience levels, and we make decisions about the right fit on a per-candidate basis. 

Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (i.e., current Green Card holder), or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Equal Opportunity 

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including with respect to disability and veteran status.  It is committed to compliance with all equal opportunity laws, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and Title VII.   It does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, race, citizenship, immigration status, or any other protected class when it comes to employment practices, including hiring. 

Employment at the Company is contingent upon satisfactory completion of reference and background checks, and on your ability to prove your identity and authorization to work in the U.S. for the Company.  Employees must comply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services employment verification requirements, and, therefore, they must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 at the start of employment and re-verify authorization to work periodically.

Separate from this I-9 process, as noted above, this position entails access to certain technology and technical data that is restricted under U.S. export control laws and regulations.  Employment or continued employment may be conditioned on your legal authorization to work with or have access to export control materials as necessary to perform your job.

Candidate Rights & Accommodations

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application or participate in the interview process, please contact [email protected]. Requests will be handled in accordance with applicable laws. Please do not include medical or other confidential information in your initial request.

For more information about your rights, please refer to the "Know Your Rights" notice here. 

E-Verify

Stoke Space uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires. 

For more information on the right to work, please refer to the poster here.