Mechanical / Hardware Engineer

Hardware / Mechanical Engineer

Theron Defense builds autonomous weapons systems. Our first product is a vehicle mounted turret that detects, tracks, and takes down drones on its own, running Theron's own AI targeting models. The hard problem is hitting small drones at combat speed from a vehicle moving over rough terrain. We're demoing the turret live for the US and Ukrainian militaries now.

We hire fewer engineers, pay above market, and work in person. Every engineer owns large pieces of the system end to end.

What you'll own

• Design and build the turret's mechanical systems: gimbal and pointing mechanisms, structure, enclosures, and vehicle mounts
• Engineer for shock, vibration, and accuracy on a vehicle moving over rough terrain
• Integrate motors, cameras, sensors, and electronics into hardware that survives the field
• Take parts from CAD to prototype to field test, often with your own hands in the shop
• Carry a large share of the hardware build. The electronics are simple; the mechanical work never stops

What we need

• You'll spend most of your day in CAD, designing and improving the product for manufacturing
• You have real hands on build skills: electronics and wiring, 3D printing, machining, prototyping. You know what makes a part easy to build because you've built them
• You want to own more than seems reasonable, and you work hard and independently without hand holding
• Defense experience not required. Builders from robotics, drones, consumer hardware, and the shop floor all fit

Nice to have

• Radar mechanical experience
• Gimbals, turrets, precision pointing, or other motion systems
• A track record of things you built on your own: robots, drones, 3D printer builds, competition teams

Logistics

• Onsite in San Francisco or Reno
• US citizenship required [confirm]
• No clearance required
• Base $125K to $225K plus 0.1% to 1.5% equity

Matching profile

Match on builders: daily CAD design paired with hands on electronics, wiring, 3D printing, or machining. Mechanical engineering and defense pedigree are not required. Greg B. is still a useful calibration point (mechanical plus software, deployable radar), and Hagen was interested.