Forward Deployed Engineer

Albacore Inc.; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Albacore Inc. is seeking a candidate in Philadelphia, PA for an engineering role involving operation and maintenance of robotic systems. The ideal applicant will have a B.S. or M.S. in a relevant engineering field and 1-7 years of experience in areas like unmanned systems and defense technology. Military experience is highly desirable, particularly in roles such as Navy SEAL or Submarine Officer. This position requires strong communication skills, frequent travel, and the ability to adapt in fast-paced environments.

Qualifications

• 1-7 years of experience in engineering, robotics, or defense technology.
• Military background preferred, particularly in Navy SEAL or similar roles.
• Experience with robotic or autonomous systems in real-world conditions.

Responsibilities

• Operate and maintain vehicle systems during customer engagements.
• Support mission planning and evaluations in dynamic environments.
• Translate field feedback into engineering improvements.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Ability to engage with military operators

Experience with unmanned systems

Problem-solving in fast-paced environments

Education

B.S. or M.S. in relevant engineering field

Job description

Role description:

• Operate, troubleshoot, and maintain vehicle systems during customer engagements, field experiments, and operational evaluations.
• Support mission planning, launch and recovery, payload integration, and system bring-up in dynamic real‑world environments.
• Serve as a key bridge between operators and the engineering team by translating field feedback into actionable design, reliability, and usability improvements.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to diagnose issues, validate fixes, and improve vehicle performance across hardware and software.
• Help develop operational concepts, test procedures, training materials, and best practices for vehicle employment with defense users.
• Represent the company professionally in front of military stakeholders, helping build trust through strong technical execution and clear communication.

Desired qualifications:

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or related technical field, or equivalent hands‑on technical experience.
• 1-7 years of experience in engineering, robotics, unmanned systems, field operations, defense technology, or military technical roles.
• Military background strongly preferred, especially Navy SEAL, Submarine Officer, or EOD/UUV Specialist, or maritime SOCOM experience. Other operational experience relevant to the field will also be considered.
• Experience operating, maintaining, troubleshooting, or supporting robotic, maritime, electromechanical, or autonomous systems in real‑world environments.
• Strong communication skills and ability to engage constructively with military operators, program managers, and technical experts.
• Willingness to travel frequently for customer meetings, demonstrations, exercises, testing, and deployed support, including domestically and internationally.
• Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast‑paced environments and turning field observations into concrete engineering recommendations.
• U.S. work authorization required, TS/SCI clearance preferred.