Chief Mechanical Engineer; Harvester Systems - Oxford, North Carolina

Overview

Mission Hires is partnering with an early‑stage ag equipment team to hire a Chief Engineer (Harvester Systems) to take a clean‑sheet specialty‑crop harvester from prototype to production. You’ll own full machine architecture, lead mechanical design of threshing and separation, integrate embedded sensing and open data, drive rigorous field testing for grain loss/quality/throughput, and build a high‑performing core engineering team.

Competitive salary + meaningful equity.

• Own the entire harvester from architecture through production and into the field.
• Design threshing and separation systems that deliver consistently clean grain across different crops and conditions.
• Create operator‑friendly machines with intuitive controls, easy in‑field adjustments, and right‑to‑repair serviceability.
• Lead the integration of mechanical systems with embedded sensors that deliver useful, open data.
• Run real‑world field testing across regions and take full ownership of hitting tough targets on grain loss, quality, and throughput.
• Hire, mentor, and lead a high‑performing core engineering team.
• Establish engineering standards, validation plans, and DFM/DFA for production ramp.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally on autonomy/AI‑driven optimization and embedded systems.
• Own issue triage and continuous improvement loops from field learnings back into design.
• Champion safety, reliability, and maintainability throughout the product lifecycle.

• 10+ years designing agricultural equipment.
• 5+ years specifically hands‑on with harvesters, combines, or threshing/separation systems.
• Deep mechanical intuition for how these systems work in the real world.
• Strong CAD skills paired with serious hands‑on build and test experience.
• A proven ability to lead technical teams while staying humble and collaborative.
• Genuine excitement about spending time in harvest conditions (mud, dust, long days, big smiles).

• Experience with ISOBUS or CAN systems.
• Background integrating sensors or machine vision.
• Familiarity with grain loss and quality measurement.

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance
• Retirement plan