Principal Forward Deployed Autonomous Systems Engineer

Principal Forward Deployed Autonomous Systems Engineer

Huntington Beach, California, United States

Founded in 2023, Mach Industries is a rapidly growing defense technology company focused on developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms. At the core of our mission is the commitment to delivering scalable, decentralized defense systems that enhance the strategic capabilities of the United States and its allies. With a workforce of approximately 350 employees, we operate with startup agility and ambition.

Our vision is to redefine the future of warfare through cutting‑edge manufacturing, innovation at speed, and unwavering focus on national security. We are dedicated to solving the next generation of warfare with lethal systems that deter kinetic conflict and protect global security.

Mach Industries is seeking a Principal Forward Deployed Autonomous Systems Engineer (FDASE) to lead the fielding, operation, and continued development of autonomous defense platforms. This role sits at the intersection of engineering, flight operations, product development, and customer engagement. You will be responsible for ensuring that complex autonomous systems can be deployed, operated, maintained, and scaled successfully in demanding real-world environments.

As a Principal FDASE, you will establish operating standards, determine operational readiness, advise leadership on deployment risk, and translate field experience into actionable product improvements. You will lead customer engagements for Flight Operations, own internal and external training programs, and help transition emerging prototypes into repeatable, supportable products.

This is a hands‑on technical leadership role. You will be expected to understand complete system architectures, diagnose complex multidisciplinary problems, and remain directly engaged with aircraft, ground systems, personnel, and field operations. You will also lead and develop other Forward Deployed Autonomous Systems Engineers, setting the technical and operational standard for the team.

This is not primarily a pilot role. Success requires deep technical judgment, operational credibility, decisive leadership, and the ability to connect engineering decisions with deployment outcomes.

• Establish and maintain operating standards for autonomous vehicles and their supporting systems
• Determine the operational readiness of vehicles, personnel, equipment, procedures, and deployment packages
• Own operational readiness for an assigned vehicle family, including stratospheric or high-performance autonomous platforms
• Lead Flight Operations engagement with military customers, government sponsors, ranges, and other external stakeholders
• Advise company leadership on deployment readiness, technical risk, personnel requirements, and operational constraints
• Drive product improvements by translating test, deployment, operator, and customer feedback into clear engineering priorities
• Partner with engineering and program teams to transition prototype systems into reliable, repeatable, and supportable products
• Develop operational concepts of employment, deployment models, and field-support strategies
• Own internal training programs and customer‑facing training materials
• Develop instructors and ensure training can be delivered consistently across the organization
• Lead the development and approval of operational procedures, checklists, maintenance practices, and readiness criteria
• Provide technical leadership during flight tests, demonstrations, deployments, and complex troubleshooting efforts
• Diagnose multidisciplinary issues involving mechanical systems, avionics, communications, networking, flight controls, payloads, and ground systems
• Lead or support…