About the company

Seed-stage defense and aerospace manufacturer ($21M raised) that acquires precision machine shops and modernizes them with software, AI and lean operations. Makes real flight and defense parts for top primes and new-space companies.

The role: Forward Deployed Integration Engineer

Embed at newly acquired machine shops and drive their transformation into modern, data-driven operations. You'll own the full 9-month post-acquisition integration cycle at shops in Denver and Seattle, working shoulder to shoulder with machinists. A springboard role: early engineers move into leadership as the company scales.

• Be the face of the company on the shop floor, owning relationships with floor staff, plant leadership and the deal team
• Manage the flow of aerospace and defense parts from planning through machining, inspection and post-delivery issues
• Drive lean deployment (5S, Kanban, visual management) and integrate the company's software with existing ERP systems
• Run manufacturing health assessments: baseline OEE, find equipment gaps, root-cause quality escapes and schedule slips
• Turn floor-level findings into capex justifications and executive recommendations

What they're looking for

• 3-7 years in hands-on machine shop or manufacturing engineering environments
• Startup or small-shop experience (not only large legacy primes)
• Engineering degree (mechanical, manufacturing, industrial or related)
• GD&T plus expertise in at least one of CNC machining, CAD/CAM, lean manufacturing or metrology
• Proven change management on the shop floor
• Must be a U.S. Person (ITAR)

Compensation: $140K-$175K base (higher for exceptional candidates) + equity

Location: On-site in Denver, CO or Seattle, WA (~20-40% travel), or remote with 80%+ travel to factory sites

Company name shared after an intro call with HSF.