---
title: 'Mechanical Engineer, Sr. Staff at Allen Control Systems'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-sr-staff-allen-control-systems-austin-cdh9z848e78z'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Mechanical Engineer, Sr. Staff at Allen Control Systems

- **Company:** Allen Control Systems
- **Location:** Austin, TX
- **Posted:** 2025-01-30
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/allencontrolsystems/jobs/4515629008

## Job description

Staff Mechanical Design Engineer – Drone Defense Turret Systems

Company Overview:

Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup, founded by two ex-Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software. We are developing a small, autonomous gun turret that employs advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely target and neutralize small drones and loitering munitions. Our innovative approach requires overcoming significant technical challenges, making this an exciting and dynamic environment for experienced engineers.

With an engineering-first culture, ACS values technical excellence and innovation. Backed by our founders' successful exits from two previous venture acquired for a combined $180M in 2022, we are committed to ensuring that the groundbreaking technologies we develop will have a real-world impact.

Position Overview:

We are looking for a highly experienced Mechanical Designer with strong expertise in mechanical simulations and electromechanical integration. The ideal candidate will be well-versed in designing for durability, reliability, and robustness according to MIL-STD-810 standards. You will play a critical role in ensuring our products meet stringent environmental, vibration, and shock requirements, while also integrating complex electromechanical components into our systems.

What You'll Do:

- Design and develop mechanical systems that meet MIL-STD-810 specifications, ensuring robustness under vibration, shock, thermal, and environmental conditions.
- Perform mechanical simulations (FEA, modal, vibration, thermal) to assess the durability and reliability of designs under operational stress.
- Collaborate with electrical and systems engineers to integrate electromechanical components, ensuring seamless interaction between mechanical structures and electrical systems.
- Lead structural integrity testing and analysis, ensuring designs meet environmental test criteria for military-grade systems.
- Develop and document mechanical design specifications, including detailed drawings, simulation reports, and testing protocols.
- Conduct testing and validation to ensure that mechanical designs meet the required performance and safety standards.
- Support prototype development and work closely with manufacturing teams to ensure designs are feasible and cost-effective.
- Maintain a strong focus on product quality, safety, and reliability, adhering to Design for Manufacturing and Design for Reliability best practices.
- Contribute to cross-functional design reviews, identifying potential mechanical and electromechanical risks early in the development cycle.

What You'll Need:

- A passion for designing robust mechanical systems that can operate in harsh environments.
- 12+ years of experience in mechanical design, including expertise in electromechanical integration.
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
- Hands-on experience performing structural, vibration, and thermal simulations using tools such as ANSYS, SolidWorks (preferred).
- Proficient in 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks (preferred), CATIA, or Creo.
- Strong understanding of MIL-STD-810 requirements for mechanical durability, including vibration, shock, temperature, and humidity testing.
- Skilled in electromechanical integration, ensuring compatibility between mechanical structures and electrical components (e.g., wiring harnesses, sensors, actuators).
- Experience conducting Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Modal Analysis, and Thermal Analysis.
- Collaborate effectively with electrical, software, and systems engineers to develop integrated solutions.
- Familiar with Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Reliability (DFR) principles.

You'll Stand Out:

- Direct experience working with MIL-STD-810 (e.g., vibration, temperature, and shock tests).
- Knowledge of MIL-S-901D for naval shock testing and MIL-STD-461 for EMI/EMC standards.
- Familiarity with Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) considerations in mechanical design.
- Experience in rapid prototyping and Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing).
- Familiarity with fluid dynamics and heat transfer principles.
- Experience with shock absorption and damping systems for mechanical structures.

What We Offer:

- Competitive salary
- ACS Equity Package
- Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
- Paid Time Off

Allen Control Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Allen Control Systems prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

## #LI-AS1

## About Allen Control Systems

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a robotics defense company building autonomous, AI-powered weapon stations to counter drone threats for military and national security clients.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B)
- **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, United States (with a secondary office in Alexandria, Virginia)
- **Founded**: 2023
- **Founders**: Luke Allen (CEO), Steve Simoni (President), Mike Wior (CTO)

## Core Business
- **Primary Industry**: Defense and Space Manufacturing (Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems / C-UAS)
- **Target Customers**: U.S. Department of Defense, national security communities, allied military forces (B2G / Government)
- **Mission**: To deliver advanced robotic capabilities that fill modernization demands across the defense industry, enabling any weapon system to achieve precise, autonomous aiming and impact against drone swarms and other aerial threats.

## Products & Services
- **Bullfrog™ (M240C / M230 / M2 / M134)**: A family of autonomous weapon stations that integrate with legacy and modern weapon systems (from M240 machine guns to M230 chain guns and M2 heavy machine guns). These stations use passive sensing (no radar), computer vision, and AI to detect, track, and engage Group 1-3 UAS (drones) at ranges of 800m to 1,500m.
- **Autonomous Fire Control System**: Proprietary software that uses machine vision and synthetic data generation to search for, detect, and accurately target drones. It is built on an open architecture for integration with existing command-and-control (C2) systems.
- **Training Data Generation**: A service that generates synthetic data to keep the AI models up-to-date with current and evolving drone threats.
- **Land & Sea Platforms**: The company’s weapon stations are designed for deployment on individual platforms (vehicles), convoys, and naval vessels.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: $2.2 billion (as of Series B, approximately June/July 2025)
- **Key Metric – Total Funding**: $242 million raised to date.
    - **Seed Round** (April 2024): $12 million led by Craft Ventures.
    - **Series A** (April 2025): $30 million led by Craft Ventures.
    - **Series B** (~June/July 2025): $200 million (valuation $2.2B). Investors include Rally Ventures, Forum Ventures, Inspired Capital, Litquidity, and 12+ others.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Craft Ventures (lead), Rally Ventures, Forum Ventures.
- **Growth Signals**: The company has experienced massive growth. Headcount grew **+261.8% year-over-year** to 131 employees. The company is actively scaling manufacturing with 64+ open job postings. It has expanded from a seed-stage startup to a $2.2B valuation in just over two years, reflecting strong market demand for C-UAS solutions.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Passive Sensing**: Unlike many competitors, ACS systems do not require radar, allowing military units to remain covert and avoid electronic signature detection.
- **AI & Computer Vision Moat**: The company uses proprietary machine vision and synthetic data generation to maintain a rapidly updating threat library, making the system effective against novel drone types and swarms.
- **Open Architecture**: The system integrates easily with existing military C2 systems, avoiding vendor lock-in and simplifying adoption.
- **Founder Expertise**: The founding team (Navy veterans and nuclear engineers with experience at Stanford, Penn State, and DoorDash) brings a rare combination of deep technical robotics/AI knowledge and direct military operational experience.

## Strategic Focus
- **Manufacturing Scale-Up**: The primary use of the $200M Series B is to expand manufacturing capacity to meet surging demand from the DoD and allied nations.
- **Product Development**: Continued development of advanced systems for Group 3+ UAS threats and final protective fires, as well as expanding into naval and convoy defense configurations.
- **Talent Acquisition**: Aggressively hiring across engineering (Computer Vision, ML, Controls, Embedded, Mechanical, Electrical), manufacturing, and operations to build out the team.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-Driven Impact**: Employees work on a direct, tangible defense problem—protecting soldiers and bases from drone attacks. The work has immediate operational relevance.
- **High-Growth Environment**: The company is in a hyper-growth phase (261% headcount growth, $2.2B valuation), offering rapid career advancement and the excitement of scaling a company from early stage.
- **Cutting-Edge Tech**: The engineering team works on the intersection of robotics, AI, computer vision, and weapons systems. The tech stack includes modern tools (Docker, Kubernetes, SQL, Terraform, Unreal Engine for simulation).
- **Talent Density**: The company has attracted talent from top aerospace/defense firms (Firefly Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, Saronic) and tech companies (DoorDash), indicating a strong peer group.
- **Work Policy**: Roles are primarily on-site in Austin, TX (with some remote roles available, e.g., Technical Writer). The company has a strong physical manufacturing and testing component.
- **Culture**: Described as a robotics defense company purpose-built for a new era of drone warfare, emphasizing speed, innovation, and practical results. The leadership team is composed of veterans and engineers who value technical excellence.

## Sources
1. [allencontrolsystems.com](https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/)
2. [allencontrolsystems.com - Company Page](https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/company)
3. [LinkedIn - Allen Control Systems](https://www.linkedin.com/company/allen-control-systems)
4. [CB Insights - Allen Control Systems](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/allen-control-systems)
5. [Greenhouse - Allen Control Systems Jobs](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/allencontrolsystems)

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