Founding Engineer – Test Lead

Theseus; California (MO); On-site; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative defense startup is seeking a dedicated individual to join their team in testing and validating cutting-edge drone technology. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a pioneering project that leverages computer vision for drone navigation. You will play a crucial role in maintaining and operating drone fleets, designing hardware setups, and collaborating closely with engineering teams to ensure product quality. If you are passionate about robotics and eager to tackle real-world challenges, this position is a perfect fit for you. Join a dynamic team where your contributions will directly influence the future of drone technology.

Benefits

Competitive salary and equity package

Flexible working hours

Comprehensive health benefits

Office in San Francisco with easy access

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in hardware design and building is essential.
• Basic electronics skills including soldering and circuit knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and operate a fleet of drones for continuous testing.
• Own the operational testing of the product end to end.

Skills

Hands-on experience building and designing hardware

Basic electronics skills

Problem-solving skills

Ability to work autonomously

Tools

CAD (Fusion360)

FDM 3D printing

Job description

Theseus’ Micro Visual Positioning System (VPS) allows any drone to determine its location using computer vision instead of GPS. We hit accuracies of 20m or less over any flight distance. Our system simulates a serial GPS and is seamlessly retrofit onto existing airframes. We are solving the key problem that limits autonomy for drones in contested environments.

The role

We are looking to build our in-house testing and validation process. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of YC’s first defense startup. If you are passionate about robotics, and are excited to solve cutting edge, time sensitive problems that have a real-world impact, this role is for you.

You will be driving the validation and testing of our product in the real world. You will be responsible for this part of the product and company, with direct impact over the pace of product development and assuring quality for the customer.

You Will

• Maintain and operate a fleet of drones for continuous testing of our system.
• Scope, design and fabricate hardware test setups.
• Own the operational testing of the product end to end.
• Work closely with the engineering team, flagging issues and coordinating relevant test procedures.

You Have

• Hands on experience building and designing hardware.
• Basic electronics skills including soldering, knowledge of circuits and component selection.
• History of designing parts, experience with FDM 3D printing and CAD (Fusion360 preferred).
• Demonstrated ability to solve technical issues on the fly.
• A high degree of autonomy, and a track record of being able to structure your own time and independently identify milestones and work towards them.

Nice to Have’s

• Experience flying and/or building drones.
• Experience with ArduPilot.
• Experience designing PCBs.
• Previous experience in a startup environment or building something from the ground up.

Benefits / What We Offer

• Competitive salary and equity package
• Opportunity to be part of the founding team, with direct influence over product and company direction
• Flexible working hours
• Comprehensive health benefits
• Office in San Francisco with easy CalTrain / I280 access

At Theseus, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment. We believe that a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences is essential for innovation and success. We encourage people of all identities to apply, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other dimension of diversity. If you are energized by solving hard problems that impact geopolitics, this is for you.