Founding Software Engineer, Manufacturing Systems and Factory Automation

🚨 Software Engineer – Manufacturing Systems & Factory Automation 📍 Torrance, Los Angeles – Onsite, 5 Days a Week I’m working with an early-stage defense and advanced-manufacturing startup combining AI software, robotics and full-stack manufacturing to industrialize high-performance composite parts. The company is building automated domestic factories capable of mass-producing the lightweight composite structures needed for next-generation unmanned aircraft, undersea vehicles and space systems. Its technology spans manufacturing orchestration, CAD automation, simulation, robotics and real-time factory intelligence—turning a traditionally bespoke production process into a scalable, software-driven supply chain. Backed by a $17 million seed round, the largest in Entrepreneur First’s history, this is an opportunity to join a highly technical founding team and take complete ownership of software that directly controls how physical products are designed and manufactured. You’ll work on: ⚙️ Building Argos, an operating system that orchestrates everything from raw materials to finished parts, including supply chain, quoting and pricing 🧠 Developing Argos Sim, covering CAD automation, design-for-manufacturing, composite-part simulation and automated mold generation 🏭 Integrating real-time data from manufacturing equipment, automated systems and sensors 🔄 Building a continuously updated digital twin that powers 24/7 factory operations 🖥️ Developing production-grade frontend and backend systems using TypeScript, Python and Go 🤖 Creating software at the intersection of robotics, hardware, manufacturing and physical-world automation 🚀 Shipping products rapidly with full autonomy and end-to-end ownership 🤝 Building directly alongside world-class hardware, robotics and composite engineers Requirements: ✅ 2+ years of experience shipping production-grade software ✅ Strong full-stack engineering ability, ideally across TypeScript and Python or Go ✅ A proven record of building and launching high-quality products at scale ✅ Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate closely with hardware and manufacturing teams ✅ High agency, urgency and comfort solving ambiguous problems independently ✅ Willingness to own work end to end without relying on dedicated product, QA or design support ✅ Motivation to work hands-on in the physical world within an intense, early-stage environment ⭐ Experience within a successful defense, robotics, hardware or advanced-manufacturing startup is highly valuable ⭐ Exposure to manufacturing processes, automated systems, tooling, CAD, computational geometry or 3D environments is advantageous but not essential The environment is fast-moving, practical and deliberately low-bureaucracy. You’ll make consequential technical decisions, work closely with the founders and have visible influence over both the software platform and the factory it powers. 🇺🇸 ITAR eligibility is required: You must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual or otherwise eligible to obtain the necessary U.S. government authorization. 💰 Package: $175k base, covered meals, comprehensive benefits and support for tools and products that improve your productivity.