{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"e407043ffa26a09f47ef2437","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/e407043ffa26a09f47ef2437","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/e407043ffa26a09f47ef2437","title":"Forward Deployed Engineer","description":"Icarus was founded on the belief that the Stratosphere is the Forgotten Frontier and that reclaiming it will define the next era of aerospace and what is possible from the sky. We build solar-powered aircraft that fly at 60,000 ft for weeks at a time, delivering persistent, affordable, and scalable presence from this layer of the atmosphere.\n\nMission\nRe-establish and maintain dominance in the Stratosphere.\n\nWhat you’ll do\n\nDeploy forward with our aircraft and ground systems to test ranges, airfields, and customer environments, and own getting them set up and operational.\n\nProvide end‑to‑end field support: system setup, software and hardware configuration, integration with site infrastructure, and pre‑deployment checkout.\n\nTroubleshoot hardware, software, and networking issues in real time, in unstructured environments, and drive them to resolution.\n\nExecute flight tests, demos, and exercises with high autonomy and minimal support.\n\nTrain and guide operators and customers on how to run our systems and get the most out of them.\n\nBe the link between the field and engineering: capture flight data, ground truth, and operator feedback, run quick incident reviews, and feed clear, specific recommendations back into the product.\n\nKeep documentation, runbooks, and operational procedures current so every deployment goes smoother than the last.\n\nWhat we’re looking for\n\n2+ years supporting, deploying, or operating real hardware systems in the field (aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomy, or hardware startups).\n\nStrong hands‑on troubleshooting across hardware, software, and networking. You’re comfortable with tools, cables, configs, and the command line, and you stay calm when something breaks far from home.\n\nPractical technical range over deep specialization: comfortable with networking fundamentals and software/hardware setup and configuration. You don’t need to be the deepest engineer in any one discipline — you need to make the whole system work in the field.\n\nAbility to operate independently in ambiguous, high‑pressure environments with minimal support.\n\nStrong communication skills. You can work with engineers, operators, and customers, and translate between them.\n\nWillingness to travel frequently and operate out of test ranges, airfields, and remote locations for extended periods.\n\nWhy Icarus\n\nMeaningful equity\n\nTop market salary and bonuses\n\nHealth, dental, and vision insurance\n\nReal ownership, real hardware, real flight\n\nSmall team, massive responsibility\n\nHigh signal (engineering) to noise (management) culture\n\nDream desk setup\n\nDaily lunch\n\nThis is not a normal engineering job\n\nWe are pioneers, not corporate managers. Icarus deliberately optimizes for a high signal (engineers) to noise (management) ratio, where engineering, flight, and execution matter more than process, politics, or management overhead\n\nYou will work side by side with the CEO and a small team of world‑class builders. You will own your work end to end — get it running, get it right, and get it back into the air, faster every time\n\nWe expect full extreme ownership. This is a high‑trust, no‑BS team, and everyone pulls their weight\n\nWe are hiring across the stack: mechanical, aerodynamics, RF, GNC, electrical, avionics, power electronics, energy storage, software, and systems\n\nWe want builders. No hand‑holding. No fluff. No fake projects. No slide decks. No sitting in meetings all day. Just raw execution, real hardware, and real flight\n\nYou must thrive under pressure, learn fast, troubleshoot in the field, and push systems to their limits. We move fast. We go to Mojave at 4 am in the morning . We expect results and an obsession with quality and speed\n\nYou will be a core executor of flight operations, taking systems into the field and driving rapid iteration loops. If you want real ownership, real hardware, and real flight, this is it.\n\nNo tourists. No bystanders. Only builders.\n\nHiring process\n\nTechnical interview\n\nOne‑on‑one with CEO\n\nMeet the team in‑person\n\nUS salary range\n$100,000 - $160,000 USD\n\nThe salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Icarus' total compensation package.\n\nWe’re an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.\n\n#J-18808-Ljbffr","company":"Icarus","rawCompany":"icarus","city":"El Segundo","state":"CA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-07-16T03:37:14.534Z","occupations":[{"code":"17-2011.00","title":"Aerospace Engineers","slug":"aerospace-engineers"},{"code":"17-2199.00","title":"Engineers, All Other","slug":"engineers-all-other"},{"code":"15-1299.08","title":"Computer Systems Engineers/Architects","slug":"computer-systems-engineers-architects"}],"industries":[{"code":"336411","title":"Aircraft Manufacturing","slug":"aircraft-manufacturing"},{"code":"334511","title":"Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing","slug":"search-detection-navigation-guidance-aeronautical-and-nautical-system-and-instrument-manufacturing"},{"code":"541330","title":"Engineering Services","slug":"engineering-services"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Forward Deployed Engineer","description":"Icarus was founded on the belief that the Stratosphere is the Forgotten Frontier and that reclaiming it will define the next era of aerospace and what is possible from the sky. We build solar-powered aircraft that fly at 60,000 ft for weeks at a time, delivering persistent, affordable, and scalable presence from this layer of the atmosphere.\n\nMission\nRe-establish and maintain dominance in the Stratosphere.\n\nWhat you’ll do\n\nDeploy forward with our aircraft and ground systems to test ranges, airfields, and customer environments, and own getting them set up and operational.\n\nProvide end‑to‑end field support: system setup, software and hardware configuration, integration with site infrastructure, and pre‑deployment checkout.\n\nTroubleshoot hardware, software, and networking issues in real time, in unstructured environments, and drive them to resolution.\n\nExecute flight tests, demos, and exercises with high autonomy and minimal support.\n\nTrain and guide operators and customers on how to run our systems and get the most out of them.\n\nBe the link between the field and engineering: capture flight data, ground truth, and operator feedback, run quick incident reviews, and feed clear, specific recommendations back into the product.\n\nKeep documentation, runbooks, and operational procedures current so every deployment goes smoother than the last.\n\nWhat we’re looking for\n\n2+ years supporting, deploying, or operating real hardware systems in the field (aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomy, or hardware startups).\n\nStrong hands‑on troubleshooting across hardware, software, and networking. You’re comfortable with tools, cables, configs, and the command line, and you stay calm when something breaks far from home.\n\nPractical technical range over deep specialization: comfortable with networking fundamentals and software/hardware setup and configuration. You don’t need to be the deepest engineer in any one discipline — you need to make the whole system work in the field.\n\nAbility to operate independently in ambiguous, high‑pressure environments with minimal support.\n\nStrong communication skills. You can work with engineers, operators, and customers, and translate between them.\n\nWillingness to travel frequently and operate out of test ranges, airfields, and remote locations for extended periods.\n\nWhy Icarus\n\nMeaningful equity\n\nTop market salary and bonuses\n\nHealth, dental, and vision insurance\n\nReal ownership, real hardware, real flight\n\nSmall team, massive responsibility\n\nHigh signal (engineering) to noise (management) culture\n\nDream desk setup\n\nDaily lunch\n\nThis is not a normal engineering job\n\nWe are pioneers, not corporate managers. Icarus deliberately optimizes for a high signal (engineers) to noise (management) ratio, where engineering, flight, and execution matter more than process, politics, or management overhead\n\nYou will work side by side with the CEO and a small team of world‑class builders. You will own your work end to end — get it running, get it right, and get it back into the air, faster every time\n\nWe expect full extreme ownership. This is a high‑trust, no‑BS team, and everyone pulls their weight\n\nWe are hiring across the stack: mechanical, aerodynamics, RF, GNC, electrical, avionics, power electronics, energy storage, software, and systems\n\nWe want builders. No hand‑holding. No fluff. No fake projects. No slide decks. No sitting in meetings all day. Just raw execution, real hardware, and real flight\n\nYou must thrive under pressure, learn fast, troubleshoot in the field, and push systems to their limits. We move fast. We go to Mojave at 4 am in the morning . We expect results and an obsession with quality and speed\n\nYou will be a core executor of flight operations, taking systems into the field and driving rapid iteration loops. If you want real ownership, real hardware, and real flight, this is it.\n\nNo tourists. No bystanders. Only builders.\n\nHiring process\n\nTechnical interview\n\nOne‑on‑one with CEO\n\nMeet the team in‑person\n\nUS salary range\n$100,000 - $160,000 USD\n\nThe salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Icarus' total compensation package.\n\nWe’re an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.\n\n#J-18808-Ljbffr","datePosted":"2026-07-16T03:37:14.534Z","dateModified":"2026-07-16T03:37:14.534Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Icarus","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"El Segundo","addressRegion":"CA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"e407043ffa26a09f47ef2437"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/e407043ffa26a09f47ef2437"}}