Mission Success Engineer

About the role

We are looking for a field‑forward Hardware Engineer to deploy, operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and train end‑users on autonomous ground‑vehicle platforms in real operational environments. This role is hands‑on with vehicles, thrives in the field, and keeps machines running under non‑ideal conditions. It is not a desk job; you will spend significant time at test sites, customer locations, and operational events, working directly on vehicles, diagnosing issues, making repairs, and ensuring systems are mission‑ready.

Responsibilities

• Deploy and field‑test autonomous vehicles and their payloads in real‑world environments; support payload integration and vehicle testing between Seattle and Central Washington locations.
• Perform hands‑on troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair of vehicle systems including electronics, sensors, wiring, power, networking, and mechanical interfaces; diagnose failures under time pressure and resource constraints.
• Contribute to hardware/software integration and enhancements, leveraging user feedback to improve autonomy capabilities.
• Partner with engineers and program managers to ensure seamless deployment and alignment with end‑user needs.
• Maintain detailed records of field performance, document lessons learned, and recommend improvements.
• Provide on‑site training and support to end users/operators on system usage, maintenance, and safety; ensure operational readiness before and during deployment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field, or 5–8 years equivalent work experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD security clearance.
• Proven hands‑on experience working with vehicles or complex hardware systems.
• Strong mechanical engineering intuition and ability to work in ambiguous environments.
• Proficiency in one or more of the following: robotics, sensors, networking, embedded systems, electronics, off‑road vehicle operations and maintenance.
• Comfort working with electrical systems, sensors, wiring, connectors, and power systems.
• Experience with uncrewed systems and robotics software (e.g., ROS, CAN, drive‑by‑wire systems).
• Familiarity with autonomous system sensors such as LIDAR and cameras.
• Programming experience in Python or C++ is a plus.
• Knowledge of field‑testing protocols and safety‑critical environments.
• Ability to operate and problem‑solve independently in challenging conditions, including adverse weather and remote locations.
• Thrives in dynamic, cross‑functional teams and small startup environments.
• Experience deploying hardware and software in defense technology, deep‑tech, or startup settings.
• Prior experience supporting hardware during live demos, tests, or operational events.
• Willingness to co‑locate at testing sites or military installations for extended periods, both CONUS and OCONUS.

Location

This position is located in Washington State. When not traveling, work will be at the Central Washington State test site and/or Seattle locations as needed. Frequent, extended travel (>50%) is expected.

Pay

Salary range: $120,000 – $150,000 annually.

Benefits

• Equity compensation
• Best‑in‑class healthcare, dental, and vision plans
• Flexible PTO
• 401(k) with company match
• Parental leave