Chief Engineer - Harvester Systems

Chief Engineer – Harvester Systems
Oxford, NC (On-site + Field Work)
Ag Equipment | Early-Stage | Hardware + Autonomy
Competitive Salary + Meaningful Equity

Let's Build the Harvester Farmers Have Been Waiting For

We're creating a new kind of harvester — one built for small farms and specialty crops that delivers clean grain, honest performance, and modern technology without trapping farmers in closed ecosystems.

This is a clean-sheet machine that brings together serious mechanical excellence, smart embedded sensing, and thoughtful AI-driven optimization. It's designed for operators who want control, easy serviceability, and the right to repair.

We're looking for a Chief Engineer who will take this from prototype to production and build the team that brings it to life. If you're smart, hungry, and humble — someone who loves getting their hands dirty, obsesses over details, and genuinely wants to make farmers' lives better — we'd love to meet you.

What You'll Do

• Own the entire harvester from architecture through production and into the field
• Design threshing and separation systems that deliver consistently clean grain across different crops and conditions
• Create machines that feel intuitive and friendly to operators, easy to adjust in the field, and simple to service without needing a dealer
• Lead the integration of mechanical systems with embedded sensors that actually deliver useful, open data
• Run real-world field testing across regions and take full ownership of hitting tough targets on grain loss, quality, and throughput
• Hire, mentor, and lead a high-performing core engineering team

What You Bring

Required

• 10+ years designing agricultural equipment
• 5+ years specifically hands-on with harvesters, combines, or threshing/separation systems
• Deep mechanical intuition for how these systems work in the real world
• Strong CAD skills paired with serious hands-on build and test experience
• A proven ability to lead technical teams while staying humble and collaborative
• Genuine excitement about spending time in harvest conditions (mud, dust, long days, big smiles)

Preferred

• Experience with ISOBUS or CAN systems
• Background integrating sensors or machine vision
• Familiarity with grain loss and quality measurement

Why You'll Love This Role

This is a rare chance to define the philosophy of a machine that puts performance, openness, and operator respect first. You'll help build the first product in what will become a broader on-farm platform.

You'll work side-by-side with founders who bring together aerospace rigor, real ag experience, and smart manufacturing thinking. Together, we'll challenge decades of legacy design decisions and create something farmers truly need.

If you're the kind of leader who's brilliant but never arrogant, driven but always willing to listen, and technically outstanding while remaining deeply grounded — this role was made for you.

Note : Candidates without direct harvester or threshing system experience will not be considered. Relocation assistance is available for exceptional candidates.