Mach Industries

Software Engineer, Localization at Mach Industries (Huntington Beach, CA)

Mach Industries· Huntington Beach, CA· $125k–$220k·

Role details

Salary
$125k–$220k
Work type
Onsite
Employment
Full-Time
Equity
Yes
Work auth
Required
Skills
C++LinuxPythonSLAMState EstimationError-State Kalman FiltersFactor GraphsNonlinear OptimizationCeres/GTSAMPyTorchVision Object DetectionCamera Models
Benefits

Equity · Health Insurance · Retirement Plans · Professional Development

Mach Industries at a glance

Builds low-cost autonomous aircraft, precision munitions, and high-altitude platforms for the U.S. military and its allies.

Mach Industries designs and manufactures next-generation asymmetric aerospace and defense systems, including unmanned strike aircraft, precision munitions, a counter-drone interceptor, and a stratospheric pseudo-satellite. Its thesis is cheap mass over exquisite few: build autonomous, expendable defense systems by the millions, and own the manufacturing and propulsion supply chain in house.

~$485M raised · latest: Series C · $300M · June 2026 · backed by Infinite Capital, Ribbit Capital, Sequoia Capital, Khosla Ventures

Summary

Design and implement state-of-the-art estimation and sensor-fusion algorithms for autonomous defense platforms. The role involves prototype productionization of vision navigation, stabilizing GNSS to VIO handover, and optimizing real-time software on embedded Linux systems for rugged, real-world deployments.

Job description

ABOUT MACH INDUSTRIES

Founded in 2023, Mach Industries is a rapidly growing defense technology company focused on developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms. At the core of our mission is the commitment to delivering scalable, decentralized defense systems that enhance the strategic capabilities of the United States and its allies. With a workforce of approximately 350 employees, we operate with startup agility and ambition.

Our vision is to redefine the future of warfare through cutting-edge manufacturing, innovation at speed, and unwavering focus on national security. We are dedicated to solving the next generation of warfare with lethal systems that deter kinetic conflict and protect global security.

THE ROLE

Mach Industries is building an AI‑forward autonomy stack for contested environments where GPS and other sensing is unavailable or unreliable. As an member of our team, you will design and implement state-of-the-art estimation and sensor-fusion algorithms that power robust navigation across all of our product lines. You will work at the intersection of perception, state estimation, and embedded systems to bring research-grade algorithms to rugged, real-world deployments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Prototype and productionize vision navigation and targeting features end-to-end from sim to HITL to flight with production C++.
  • Turn detections (EO/IR/RF/radar) into well-posed measurement models with latencies/covariances; make the estimator decision‑aware without corrupting state.
  • Stabilize GNSS to VIO handover (adaptive covariances, gating, hysteresis, reset‑less alignment) to eliminate jumps and estimator resets.
  • Build and optimize real-time software on Linux/embedded; profile CPU/GPU, vectorize hot paths; optional CUDA/TensorRT on Jetson hardware.
  • Own calibration and time-sync across IMU/cameras/radar/LiDAR/GNSS; validate in flight.
  • Create evaluation pipelines and dashboards for drift, handover stability, relocalization, track quality
  • Implement fault detection and graceful degradation for harsh conditions (blur, low‑light, vibration, RF denial).
  • Integrate global aids (maps, magnetics, radar) for long‑term consistency and loop‑closure robustness.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Stellar software ability: Modern C++ on Linux; Python for tooling/analysis; strong debugging, profiling, testing discipline.
  • SLAM/state estimation: Error-state EKF/UKF, factor graphs, nonlinear least-squares (Ceres/GTSAM), observability and covariance tuning.
  • Vision experience VIO/SLAM, camera models, optical flow/feature tracking; comfort with deep learning for detection/seg/pose (PyTorch) and on-edge deployment.
  • Sensor integration: IMU strapdown and biases, GNSS/RTK; multi-camera, LiDAR, radar, magnetometer, barometer.
  • Ship and fly: Proven research-to-production delivery and field testing on real platforms.
  • 5 years of experience with either a BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical/Aerospace Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience with CUDA/TensorRT/ONNX Runtime; NVIDIA Jetson pipelines.
  • Exposure to ROS 2, PX4/ArduPilot integration
  • Strong data practices: data validation in CI, SQL/Parquet, reproducible datasets.
  • Experience in contested/denied RF, low-light/night, high-vibration environments.
  • Rust for systems tooling; Docker for reproducibility.

Disclosures

This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).  Please note that any offer for employment may be conditioned on authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export control laws and regulations without sponsorship for an export license.

Mach participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offers may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and training, critical skills, and business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in most offers and are considered part of Mach’s total compensation package. Mach offers benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and opportunities for professional development.

Mach is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws. If you’d like to defend the American way of life, please reach out!

DATA PRIVACY

TO VIEW MACH INDUSTRIES CANDIDATE DATA PRIVACY POLICY, PLEASE VISIT HTTPS://MACHINDUSTRIES.COM/PRIVACY-POLICY.

By applying for a job at Mach, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Recruiting Privacy Policy.

Why work at Mach Industries

  • Engineering-obsessed culture: Described as an "engineering-obsessed team pursuing well-guided product bets" with a focus on solving next-generation warfare challenges. machindustries.com
  • Compensation: Salary ranges from $150K - $200K for many roles; offers equity and bonuses. machindustries.com
  • High growth environment: 184 employees (113.9% YoY growth) with 83 active job postings — significant opportunity for impact and advancement. linkedin.com
  • Talent density: Colleagues from SpaceX, Anduril, Tesla, Lockheed Martin, and MIT — a high-caliber peer group. linkedin.com
  • Locations: Headquarters in Huntington Beach, CA; offices in San Francisco, CA; operations in Lithuania and the UK. linkedin.com
  • Employer Rating: 4.0/5.0 (28 reviews on LinkedIn) with strong scores for Compensation (4.0), Culture (3.9), and Career (4.1); Work-Life balance rated lower (3.1), typical for a high-growth defense startup. linkedin.com

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