Machina Labs
1 open Forward Deployed Engineer role at Machina Labs. Curated with comp bands.
On the board since Aug 2026 · still hiring
Our take
Why Machina Labs
An FDE role where the deployment is a seven-axis robot bending metal on a factory floor - now backed by a $124M Series C and defense primes - for engineers who want the physical edge of applied AI.
- FDE type
- Product-embedded
- Travel
- High
- Comp
- Undisclosed
- Stage
- Growth-stage
A good fit if you're…
- Engineers who want robotics and manufacturing on a real production line, not SaaS
- People happy to relocate and embed on-site at a customer factory (Dayton, OH)
- Those who like hardware-in-the-loop debugging and process-data tuning
- Candidates drawn to defense and aerospace manufacturing at a fast-scaling startup
Robots that form metal without dies
Machina Labs builds RoboCraftsman cells that run its RoboForming process: seven-axis robots that shape sheet metal and composites with AI-driven sensors instead of fixed dies or stamping tools. The company calls the approach material- and geometry-agnostic, and each cell gets a digital twin fed by process data. The pitch is on-demand, software-defined manufacturing - change the part by changing the program, not the tooling.
What 'forward deployed' means - literally boots on the ground
Machina's own term for the role is 'boots on the ground.' You embed at a customer factory - the current posting is on-site in Dayton, OH - to keep RoboCraftsman cells performing: oversee day-to-day cell operation and output, support the customer's operators and technicians, and act as the technical bridge back to Machina's product, software, manufacturing, and robotics teams. The deployment is a physical machine on a live line, not a software integration.
The job starts with training, then a long on-site posting
The role begins with immersive training at Machina HQ in the Los Angeles area, then moves to a long-term on-site assignment in Ohio. Expect hardware-in-the-loop debugging and analysis of RoboForming process data to optimize forming parameters. This is a relocation-and-embed job by design - the value is being the human who makes a new robotic process reliable inside someone else's plant.
Who the customers are
Machina's funding announcements point at defense and advanced mobility: it has won contracts with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office, and works with a 'leading defense prime' on missile and hypersonic structures. Its investors include Lockheed Martin Ventures and Toyota's Woven Capital. For an FDE, that means deployments tied to serious, spec-driven manufacturing customers.
Comp is undisclosed - the draw is the domain
Machina does not publish a band for this seat. Growth-stage robotics and manufacturing companies typically pay solid engineering cash plus equity, but below frontier-software-AI numbers, and leveling here tracks hands-on robotics and manufacturing experience. Come for end-to-end ownership of a physical robotic deployment, not a headline comp figure - the role's value is rare field experience.
Where Machina is in its arc
Machina raised a $32M Series B in 2023 (led by NVIDIA's NVentures) and a $124M Series C in February 2026 from Woven Capital, Lockheed Martin Ventures, and others, funding a 200,000-sq-ft 'Intelligent Factory' sized for up to 50 RoboCraftsman cells. Hiring a dedicated forward-deployed engineer signals the move from demos to production installs - the right moment to own deployment if you want the physical edge.
Questions candidates ask
Is this role on-site?
Fully. After immersive training at Machina's LA-area HQ, you relocate for a long-term on-site assignment at a customer factory in Dayton, OH. It is a boots-on-the-ground field role.
Is it a software job?
Partly. You tune RoboForming parameters and analyze process data, but it is hardware-in-the-loop work keeping physical robotic cells running in production - closer to deployment engineering than pure software.
Does Machina pay well?
Comp is undisclosed for this seat. Expect growth-stage robotics bands plus equity, below frontier-AI-software numbers; the draw is the domain and the hands-on robotics experience.
Is the company well-funded?
Yes - a $124M Series C (Feb 2026) from investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures and Toyota's Woven Capital, on top of a 2023 Series B led by NVIDIA's NVentures.
Analysis updated 2026-10-26
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