Job Description
Job Summary We are seeking a Chief Engineering Officer for a newly established stealth defense tech startup, with the engineering lab to be based out of the Providence, Rhode Island area . This job will start full time in October 2026 when we move into the facility; the current founders are securing seed funding so will start all payroll then. As Chief Engineering Officer, you will be a cofounder in the company and we will offer a substantial equity award in addition to salary so that you're along for the ride. We are looking for a jack of all trades engineer and want someone who is risk-tolerant, creative, and a go-getter. You will work directly with the Chief Product Officer and co-founder (also an engineer) who will serve as the go-between for military/customer and engineering requirements so that the company delivers rapidly developed, operationally-ready prototypes for use in the field. You must have experience building things in real life, preferably involving drones or sensors; we don't care about years of experience, experience in high-level engineering leadership before this, or how fancy your degree is; if you're a go-getter, smart, can build, want to get after the military's hardest problems, and enable our warfighters ... this is the job and place for you. Responsibilities Lead engineering design and build for hardware prototypes Lead team of 2-5 engineers during Seed Round. Be ready to lead team of 10-20 engineers after Series A Execute direction from Chief Product Officer regarding customer requirements and operational use Work with founding team to plan and evaluate new products, existing pipelines, etc. Manage the engineering budget Drive operational management initiatives to optimize processes, improve efficiency, and ensure compliance with industry standards Build. Qualifications -- We are not requiring decades of engineering experience and will take a chance on a motivated & competent go-getter even if you haven't managed a large team. But you must have: A track record as a builder/engineer, preferably regarding sensor payloads, drones, space payloads, or RF and/or optical transmission systems. Love of engineering Excellent project management skills with the ability to oversee multiple initiatives simultaneously Exceptional leadership qualities Willing to support Department of War requirements and produce technology that will be employed in major combat operations Eligibility for a Top Secret security clearance with the US government; we won't work at this level in our Seed round, but will after Series A Bachelors in either mechanical or electrical engineering (or similar disciplines). Pay: $120,000.00 - $160,000.00 per year Benefits Health insurance Work Location: In person