Field Configuration Engineer

Job description

## About AIM Intelligent Machines Everything humanity depends on is mined, dug, or grown. At AIM, we are building the autonomous linchpin of civilization. We transform heavy machinery—bulldozers, loaders, excavators—into AI-powered fleets that operate continuously, safely, and at peak performance in the world’s harshest environments. AIM runs production mines, large scale infrastructure builds, and defense operations as a TRL9 hardened system, not a science experiment. Built by engineers from mining, construction, Waymo, SpaceX, Google and Tesla, AIM enables scalable earthmoving, turbocharging the global economy’s physical foundation. AIM is backed by some of the most sophisticated capital in the world, including General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, Elad Gil, Human Capital, Ironspring Ventures, Mantis, DCVC. ## About the Role **About you** You thrive at the intersection of software, systems, and field reality. You enjoy taking a freshly installed system and methodically turning it into a functioning autonomous machine. You are equally comfortable: - configuring Linux systems, networks, and cloud connectivity - calibrating sensors and validating perception and localization - debugging logs, telemetry, and system traces after a failed run - writing scripts or tools to automate bring-up and recovery - training operators on how the system actually works You think like a systems engineer and act with field urgency - because configuration errors show up immediately in real operations. **About us together** Together, we will: - reliably bring autonomy systems online in production environments - reduce bring-up time through better tooling and automation - validate safety and degraded-mode behavior in real conditions - make configuration repeatable enough to scale beyond AIM engineers - close the gap between software design and field operation We’ll debug failures late at night, refine workflows under pressure, and steadily turn fragile bring-up processes into robust systems. ## Responsibilities **System Configuration & First Run** - Configure autonomy software, perception stacks, networking, and cloud services. - Perform calibration, alignment, and validation of sensors and localization. - Execute first autonomy runs and safety acceptance tests. **Field Diagnostics, Debugging & Operational Stability** - Diagnose system failures across compute, networking, sensors, hydraulics, perception, control models, GNSS, and cloud connectivity. - Perform structured root-cause analysis based on logs, system traces, packet captures, machine telemetry, and hardware inspection. - Develop or extend diagnostic tools, scripts, and test harnesses to triage issues faster. - Identify failure patterns and propose mitigations upstream (software, firmware, safety logic, hardware design). **Systems Engineering & Requirements Discovery** - Translate field realities into actionable requirements for software, hardware, autonomy, and reliability engineering teams. - Identify gaps in serviceability, environmental tolerance (shock, vibration, dust), safety behavior, and operator workflows. - Validate ConOps, safety assumptions, and degraded-mode behavior against real site conditions. **Testing, Validation & Continuous Quality Feedback** - Design and execute on-site test plans (functional, performance, environmental, regression) for autonomy behaviors, safety systems, control responses, and telemetry reliability. - Validate releases, patches, hardware revisions, and autonomy updates under real operational stress. - Maintain clear bug reports, defect triage, downtime logs, and structured feedback cycles into engineering. - Drive quality upstream - flagging architectural/testability gaps early and championing improvements. **Operator Enablement & Tooling Feedback** - Train on-site personnel on system operation and workflows. - Partner with software teams to improve configuration and tuning tools. - Identify gaps that block dealer- or customer-led configuration. **Operational Engineering & Documentation** - Create service documentation, deployment procedures, troubleshooting guides, and safety protocols. - Work with OEMs and dealers to enable them to install, maintain, and support systems. - Define and improve deployment playbooks that scale globally. **Customer Relationship & Trust Building** - Act as the bridge between customers and AIM engineering - clear, honest, technically grounded communication. - Manage expectations around downtime, features, maintenance windows, and machine readiness. - Build trust through competence, transparency, and ownership. **Travel** - Deep immersion on customer sites worldwide (US, Australia, Africa, Europe). - ~40-70% travel depending on deployment cycles. ## Qualifications **Basic qualifications** - Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Computer, Robotics, Systems) or equivalent practical experience. - 5+ years experience in one or more: field engineering, systems engineering, SDE/SDE-T, robotics deployment, industrial automation, test/validation engineering. - Hands-on experience debugging complex hardware/software systems under real-world constraints. - Strong scripting ability (Python, Bash, JavaScript, or equivalent) and comfort writing production-quality scripts or small features. - Strong understanding of sensors, networking, Linux systems, compute modules, and embedded hardware fundamentals. - Experience designing/executing test plans and reporting structured quality findings. - Excellent communication skills - able to translate field issues into crisp engineering requirements. - Ability to work autonomously under ambiguous, high-pressure conditions. - Willingness to travel internationally and domestically, often on short notice. **Preferred Qualifications** - Experience deploying robotics, autonomous systems, heavy equipment, or industrial automation. - Experience with safety-critical systems, emergency stops, lockout/tagout, or functional safety frameworks. - Familiarity with hydraulics, GNSS systems, perception stacks, or motion control systems. - Experience analyzing operational data and performance metrics. - Experience building test automation, CI test harnesses, or validation pipelines. - Experience developing service manuals, install guides, or field engineering playbooks. - OEM or dealer network experience (e.g., Komatsu, Caterpillar, Volvo). - Ability to influence product and engineering teams through data, clarity, and field insight. **How you’ll stand out** - You bring systems thinking - connecting field issues to architectural insights. - You can turn ambiguous field failures into structured, repeatable engineering test cases. - You operate calmly under pressure and lead customers through complex issues. - You write clean code, clean documentation, and clean bug reports. - You thrive in the dirt, in the logs, and in the details. - You bridge the gap between engineering vision and field reality. ## Why AIM? ### Joining AIM, You Will - Solve a massive set of real-world problems that require scalable earth moving - Accomplish that via deploying and expanding cutting edge tech - Run your workstreams with the largest degree of autonomy - Have an opportunity for rapid growth and a large voice on the direction of the company - Receive company funded medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, gourmet food & perks - Experience a strong onsite collaboration (AIM offices, labs and proving grounds on the east side of the Greater Seattle area) - Have an opportunity to travel to unique sites around the world (Americas, Australia, Africa & more)