Hardware Integration Lead, Gas Turbine Power Systems

Stealth Startup; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Stealth Startup in San Francisco seeks a Hardware Integration Lead to drive the first power-generation unit from current state to a factory-tested, ship-ready system on an aggressive schedule. You will orchestrate parallel streams—mechanical, electrical, controls, procurement and testing—set the plan, break it into tasks, run regular meetings, and define acceptance criteria to deem readiness.

When needed you’ll work on the shop floor, support testing, or coordinate with supply chain, always

Qualifications

• Track record of taking hardware from 0 to 1 and shipping it, ideally on a small, fast-moving hardware team.
• Ability to build a realistic timeline and hold a team to it.
• Willingness to work on the shop floor when the schedule calls for it.
• Experience leading engineers across turbomachinery, mechanical, electrical and controls domains.

Responsibilities

• Set the schedule, break it into tasks, and track progress against commitments.
• Lead parallel engineering streams: mechanical, electrical, controls, procurement and testing.
• Define acceptance criteria for testing and decide when the unit is ready for shipment.
• When needed, work on the shop floor, assist testing, or coordinate with supply chain.
• Scale the process from the first unit to subsequent units, improving speed and cost.

Skills

Project leadership

Schedule management

Cross-functional leadership

Hardware troubleshooting

Shop floor execution

Systems integration

Job description

We are building the vertically integrated, distributed utility for hyperscalers. While legacy turbine manufacturers are sold out for the next half-decade, AI data centers are bleeding millions per day on idle compute. We wedge into this market with multi-megawatt generators that deploy behind the meter in a fraction of the traditional timeline. From there, we are building domestic gigafactories for proprietary systems, operating as a distributed utility that owns the customer relationship.

Role Description

The Hardware Integration Lead owns the timeline for our first power generation unit, taking it from where it stands today to a complete, factory-tested system ready to ship to its first customer on an aggressive schedule.

The program runs as several parallel engineering workstreams covering mechanical, electrical, controls, procurement and testing, each led by its own engineer. You'll combine them into one execution plan and be accountable for whether that plan holds. You'll set the schedule, break it into tasks, and hold owners to their commitments. You'll run the team's regular engineering meetings and track progress against what was promised. You'll also define the acceptance criteria for testing and make the final call on whether the unit is ready.

When the build needs another set of hands, you step in, whether that means working on the shop floor, supporting a test, or working with our supply chain team on a critical lead time. You'll also take on engineering work yourself when the team needs it: troubleshooting, reviewing a design decision, or picking up a task when someone is stuck.

The first unit is only the beginning. What we learn building it becomes the process for every unit after it, and each one should be faster and cheaper to build than the last. You'll spend as much time on the shop floor as in planning meetings, and the team will respect your leadership because you do both.

Qualifications

A track record of taking hardware from 0 to 1 and shipping it, ideally on a small, fast-moving hardware team. You don't need direct turbomachinery experience. You do need the judgment to build a realistic timeline, the discipline to hold a team to it, and the willingness to get your hands dirty when the schedule calls for it.

You've led engineers who were more senior or more specialized than you, and you earned their trust. At our company that means turbomachinery, mechanical, electrical and controls engineers, and you need to know enough about each area to tell when an answer doesn't add up. You prefer building and testing over simulation. You know which schedule slips are normal, and which are a real problem. On a unit this size, one missed long-lead order can cost months.

You're good at quick check-ins, not only deep dives. You need to know when a two-minute conversation will unblock someone and when a problem needs you to sit down and work through it with them.

Bonus

• Experience with GE CF6, LM6000, CFM56 or other aeroderivative engines, or a background in aerospace MRO
• Factory acceptance testing, load bank or commissioning experience on rotating equipment
• Managing long-lead procurement (generators, transformers, switchgear) on aggressive schedules
• Exposure to ERCOT or behind-the-meter generation projects
• Equity & Ownership: You will be stepping into a foundational role on the Founding Team, with the agency to own full systems as we scale.
• Mission-Critical Impact: You will actively address the immediate AI power crisis by building the infrastructure powering American data centers.
• Uncharted Innovation: You will have the opportunity to explore the uncharted, using courage and discipline to transform uncertainty into opportunity in a high-velocity environment.
• Long-Term Empire Building: You will be part of a company working to turn an initial wedge strategy into the American power company that AI needs.