Lead Forward-Deployed Autonomous Systems Architect

Mach Industries; Huntington Beach (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental plan

Vision plan

Retirement savings

Paid time off

Equity participation

Job summary

Mach Industries in Huntington Beach, CA is seeking a Principal Forward Deployed Autonomous Systems Engineer to lead fielding, operation, and ongoing development of autonomous defense platforms. You will operate at the intersection of engineering, flight operations, product development, and customer engagement to ensure complex systems are deployed, operated, and scaled in real-world environments.

You will establish operating standards, assess readiness, advise leadership on deployment risk, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field or equivalent hands-on experience.
• Experience operating, integrating, testing, or fielding unmanned/autonomous systems.
• Proven track record leading technical field operations and demonstrations.
• Strong understanding of complete system architectures and subsystem interactions.
• Advanced troubleshooting across mechanical, avionics, networking, and software domains.
• Experience determining operational readiness and giving go/no-go recommendations.
• Experience developing procedures, checklists, and training materials.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally for deployments.

Responsibilities

• Establish operating standards for autonomous vehicles and supporting systems.
• Determine vehicle and personnel readiness for deployment packages.
• Lead Flight Operations engagement with military customers and sponsors.
• Translate test and field feedback into engineering priorities and product improvements.
• Develop training programs and ensure consistent delivery of instruction.
• Lead the development and approval of operational procedures and maintenance practices.
• Mentor and develop other Forward Deployed Autonomous Systems Engineers.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to transition prototypes to repeatable products.
• Support mission planning, flight-readiness reviews, and post-mission analysis.

Skills

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Field operations leadership

System architecture

Risk assessment

Technical troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in robotics, aerospace, electrical, mechanical engineering, CS or related STEM

Tools

PX4

ArduPilot

QGroundControl

Mission Planner

Linux

Git

Python

C++

Rust

Job description

Mach Industries in Huntington Beach, CA is seeking a Principal Forward Deployed Autonomous Systems Engineer to lead fielding, operation, and ongoing development of autonomous defense platforms. You will operate at the intersection of engineering, flight operations, product development, and customer engagement to ensure complex systems are deployed, operated, and scaled in real-world environments.

You will establish operating standards, assess readiness, advise leadership on deployment risk, and