Forward Deployed Engineer, Heavy Industry

The Mission

At GRAM, we believe the next great leap for humanity will be physical, not digital. What AGI is to bits, Self-Replication (SR) is to atoms. As an SR research and deployment company, our mission is to make humanity galactic by enabling physical exponential growth. To achieve this, we are conducting foundational research across general-purpose robotics, artificial intelligence, biology, and materials science to enable SR within our lifetimes.

Our first step is to challenge the consensus that robots should look like us. We believe true progress comes from optimizing for function over form. We are creating a new embodiment for intelligence, designed from first principles to build the future physical economy, on and off-world.

The Role

At GRAM, we believe that operational excellence is a core strategic advantage. Our ability to execute on an ambitious, multi-decade mission depends on a world-class foundation of operational and business systems. This role is for the leaders who build the machine that builds the machine, creating an environment where our scientists and engineers can do their best work.

You are a builder of companies, not just products. You will be responsible for creating the scalable, efficient, and robust systems that enable our team to move faster and achieve more. This is an opportunity to design a company's operating system from first principles, ensuring that our physical lab, our supply chain, and our business functions are as thoughtfully engineered as our robots.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the primary technical interface for our most strategic customers, embedding on-site to ensure the successful deployment and operation of our robotic systems.
• Solve complex, real-world engineering challenges at the intersection of our technology and the customer's operational environment.
• Become a deep expert in the customer's business, identifying new opportunities where our platform can provide overwhelming value.
• Translate customer needs and field data into actionable insights and requirements for our core R&D teams, serving as the "voice of the customer."
• Lead the on-site execution of pilot programs and initial deployments, demonstrating the tangible value of our solution from day one.

About You

You are a first-principles thinker who is energized by solving problems that have no playbook. You are drawn to ambitious, long-term missions and want to build technology that fundamentally changes our physical capabilities. You thrive in a high-agency environment where you are given the ownership and resources to tackle core challenges.

Basic Qualifications:

• BS or MS in an engineering discipline (e.g., Mechanical, Electrical, Computer Science) or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of experience in a client-facing technical role, such as field engineering, solutions architecture, or technical consulting.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, with the ability to debug complex systems that involve both hardware and software.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with both technical and non-technical stakeholders at a customer site.
• Willingness to travel extensively to customer sites in industrial environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience as a Forward Deployed Engineer at a company like Palantir or Anduril.
• A background in robotics or industrial automation.
• A proven track record of successfully deploying new technology into challenging, real-world operational environments.
• The ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy and ambiguity.

Location

This is an on-site role at our research lab in El Segundo, California. We offer significant relocation assistance for exceptional candidates.

Interview Process

After submitting your application, we review your portfolio and any exceptional work you've shipped. If your application demonstrates the caliber we seek, you'll enter our interview process, which is designed for speed and substance. We aim to complete it within one week from start to finish.

• Company-Wide Base Salary Range: $75,000 - $300,000 USD, calibrated to your impact potential
• Equity: Substantial ownership stake befitting founding team members
• Benefits: Health, dental, and vision coverage; all meals are paid for; relocation assistance

GRAM is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate solely on capability and drive.

Why Join?

We are an early, focused team of scientists and engineers building the system that builds itself. GRAM is funded by leading investors and long-term visionaries. We operate without bureaucracy. Ownership and leadership flow to those who demonstrate exceptional capability, and every team member works directly on our core technology. We are based in El Segundo, the heart of America's industrial future, focused on solving one of the most important problems of our time.