---
title: 'Horizontal Directional Driller (HDD) - Experimental Field Testing at Traysar'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/horizontal-directional-driller-hdd-experimental-field-testing-traysar-lockhart-9as41rtrw1mt'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-05'
---

# Horizontal Directional Driller (HDD) - Experimental Field Testing at Traysar

- **Company:** Traysar
- **Location:** Lockhart
- **Employment:** temporary
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-01
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-05
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/traysar/a5ce01a8-39ac-4aee-9572-69f92dfec7be

## Job description

## ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a hands-on Horizontal Directional Driller (HDD) to join our team at our testing facility in Lockhart, Texas.

This is not a standard utility drilling job.

You will work directly with our engineering team to test and develop new horizontal drilling technologies, equipment, drilling methods, tooling, and experimental systems.

The work is highly hands-on and takes place primarily outdoors. Some days will involve operating drilling equipment, while others may involve modifying equipment, preparing experiments, troubleshooting problems, collecting data, or helping engineers understand what is happening downhole.

This position is currently offered one month at a time, with the possibility of continued work based on our testing schedule and performance.

## WHAT YOU'LL DO

- Operate and assist with horizontal directional drilling equipment
- Support drilling experiments and field testing
- Help set up, operate, and break down drilling equipment
- Work directly with engineers during testing
- Provide practical feedback based on real-world drilling experience
- Monitor drilling performance, pressure, fluids, tooling, and ground conditions
- Handle drill rods, tooling, hoses, drilling fluids, and other equipment
- Assist with equipment modifications and troubleshooting
- Perform basic maintenance and inspection of drilling equipment
- Record observations and help document test results
- Maintain a clean and safe outdoor test site
- Perform general physical field work when required

## WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Required:

- Previous experience working with Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)
- Comfortable working around drilling rigs, rods, tooling, mud systems, hydraulics, and heavy equipment
- Mechanically inclined and comfortable troubleshooting equipment
- Willing and able to perform physical work outdoors
- Able to lift approximately 50 lbs
- Comfortable working in Texas heat and changing weather conditions
- Reliable transportation to our Lockhart test site
- Strong safety mindset
- Comfortable working in a fast-moving experimental environment where not every day looks the same

Preferred:

- Experience operating Vermeer, Ditch Witch, Grundodrill, Grundopit, or similar HDD equipment
- Experience with drilling mud and fluid systems
- Experience locating or steering HDD bores
- Experience maintaining or repairing drilling equipment
- CDL or experience transporting heavy equipment
- Construction, utility, pipeline, boring, or underground infrastructure experience

## WHO THIS JOB IS GOOD FOR

This is a good fit for an experienced driller who enjoys machines, problem-solving, experimentation, and figuring out how to make equipment perform better.

We are less interested in formal education and more interested in someone who understands drilling, knows how equipment behaves in the field, works hard, and isn't afraid to get dirty.

## COMPENSATION

Starting pay: $30/hour

Higher compensation may be available for candidates with significant HDD operating, locating, mechanical, or equipment troubleshooting experience.

This position is initially guaranteed one month at a time. There may be opportunities to extend the position as our testing program continues.

## SCHEDULE

Schedule will depend on our testing program. Candidates should have some flexibility for longer test days when required.

All work is performed primarily outdoors at our Lockhart, TX testing facility.

## About Traysar

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Traysar engineers autonomous underground systems for strike and defense, aiming to secure U.S. military dominance in the subterranean domain.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed VC)
- **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, United States
- **Founded**: 2025
- **Founders**: Yadin Soffer (CEO), Asher Katz, Gilad Adin

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Defense technology, autonomous systems, subterranean warfare, military robotics
- **Target customers**: U.S. Department of Defense, allied military forces, government and defense-sector customers
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To transform the Earth’s crust into a three-dimensional maneuver space, exposing subterranean threats and equipping the armies of the free world to fight in the underground domain.

## Products & Services
- **Autonomous Tunnel Breaching & Tactical Exploration Platform**: An excavator-class autonomous platform that rapidly navigates, maps, and clears contested underground networks.
- **High-Speed Rapid-Burrowing Autonomous Platform**: Creates precision subterranean access points and delivers critical payloads beneath the surface.
- **Subterra Systems for Strike & Defense**: Full-spectrum capabilities including autonomy, persistent communications, mapping & localization, underground intelligence, distributed infrastructure, and geological intelligence.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding — $25M (Seed round, raised as of June 2026)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Led by Silent Ventures; joined by Lux Capital, Ora Global, NeverLift VC, Mana, Impatient Ventures, New Vista Capital, Entree Capital, and strategic angel investors including Steve Blank, and founders from Anduril and Erebor among others.
- **Growth Signals**: Emerged from stealth at the 2026 Reindustrialize Summit; founded in 2025 and already raised a $25M seed round; engineering team includes early engineers from SpaceX and The Boring Company.

## Competitive Advantages
- **First-mover in a new domain**: Traysar is positioning itself as the world’s first "subterra defense tech company," addressing a massive capability gap in subterranean warfare that the global defense industry has largely ignored.
- **Unique technology stack**: Combines military boring, autonomous navigation in GPS-denied environments, and real-time underground mapping — capabilities that are extremely difficult to replicate.
- **Strong founder pedigree**: Co-founders and early engineers come from SpaceX, The Boring Company, Anduril, and other elite defense/engineering organizations.
- **Clear strategic relevance**: Addresses a documented threat — the U.S. Army estimates more than 10,000 known military facilities are hidden underground worldwide.

## Strategic Focus
- **Current priorities**: Developing and fielding autonomous platforms for subterranean maneuver and infrastructure survivability; building a complete suite of Subterra systems for strike, defense, protection, and denial operations.
- **Direction for growth**: Expanding from seed stage to operational deployment with the U.S. military and allied forces; hardening critical infrastructure and preserving logistical continuity under attack.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven work**: The company describes itself as working on "the 21st century’s most important problem" — securing military dominance in a new domain.
- **Elite engineering culture**: The team includes early engineers from SpaceX and The Boring Company, suggesting a high-caliber, fast-paced, and technically challenging environment.
- **Early-stage impact**: As a seed-stage company founded in 2025, employees have the opportunity to shape the technology and culture from the ground up.
- **Location**: Headquartered in Austin, Texas, a growing tech and defense hub.
- **Notable perks**: Not explicitly stated, but the culture emphasizes working with "the best engineers" on a critical national security mission. The careers page ([jobs.ashbyhq.com/traysar](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/traysar)) lists current openings for further details on specific roles and benefits.

## Sources
1. [traysar.com](https://traysar.com)
2. [traysar.com/news](https://traysar.com/news/traysar-raises-25m-seed)
3. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/traysar)
4. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/traysar-industries)
5. [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/traysar)

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