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Forward Deployed Engineer at a Defense-Tech Startup

Mesodyne

Somerville, MA · HybridFull-timePosted 5mo agoStill listed 2 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
No compensation found
Location
Somerville, MAHybrid
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Security clearance, requiredBachelor's degree, required

Job overview

Mesodyne is hiring a Forward Deployed Engineer at a Defense-Tech Startup. Mesodyne is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) to serve as a technical lead for military field operations. This role involves supporting live field trials, military exercises, and customer demonstrations, often in rugged environments. The FDE will troubleshoot systems, swap modules, and adjust parameters to maintain LightCell functionality, while also communicating technical information to military personnel and gathering operational insights. When not traveling, the FDE will assist the Engineering Team with assembly, test fixture building, and hardware documentation.

Key focus areas include Lead on-site deployment, fueling, startup, and testing of LightCell prototypes at military exercises, defense evaluation events, and trade shows, Diagnose electrical, mechanical, and firmware issues quickly under pressure and get systems back online, and Communicate problems clearly to Engineering and collaborate on fixes.

Successful candidates bring B.S. In Mechanical/Electrical/Mechatronics/Systems Engineering, Security Clearance & Background Check, and Operational Endurance. Important skills include Clear Communication, Sound Judgment, Technical Credibility, Field Demonstration Execution, Rapid Field Troubleshooting, and Diagnose Electrical Issues.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Clear Communication, requiredSound Judgment, requiredTechnical Credibility, requiredField Demonstration Execution, requiredRapid Field Troubleshooting, requiredDiagnose Electrical Issues, requiredDiagnose Mechanical Issues, requiredDiagnose Firmware Issues, requiredTechnical Communication, requiredBuild Rapport With Military End-Users, requiredGather Operational Insights, requiredAssemble New Units, requiredBuild Test Fixtures, requiredDocument Hardware Performance, requiredHands-on Troubleshooting, requiredBuild Physical Prototypes, requiredDebug Physical Prototypes, requiredWork With Intricate Mechanical Assemblies, requiredMechanical Hand-Tools Proficiency, requiredBasic Electrical Wiring, requiredMultimeters, requiredCommand-Line Tools, requiredEndurance, requiredGrit, requiredRelentless Work Ethic, requiredThrives Under Demanding Conditions, required

Qualifications

B.S. In Mechanical Engineering, requiredB.S. In Electrical Engineering, requiredB.S. In Mechatronics Engineering, requiredB.S. In Systems Engineering, requiredMeet Baseline Security Requirements, requiredMeet Background Checking Requirements, requiredMeet Credentialing Requirements, requiredSecure Unescorted Access to Government Facilities, required

Full job description

Mesodyne is looking for a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) to bridge the gap between lab testing and real-world military field operations. In this role, you will be our "boots on the ground" technical lead, supporting live field trials, military exercises, and pilot customer demonstrations. This position requires up to 25% travel, often to rugged, austere environments. When things go wrong in the field you must be a master of fast, high-impact field fix—troubleshooting the system, swapping modules, and using terminal commands to adjust parameters and keep the LightCell running.

You will represent Mesodyne to military personnel and elite operators, requiring clear communication, sound judgment, and technical credibility.

Key Responsibilities

  • Field Demonstration Execution: Lead on-site deployment, fueling, startup, and testing of LightCell prototypes at military exercises, defense evaluation events, and trade shows.

  • Rapid Field Troubleshooting: Act as the ultimate tactical troubleshooter. Diagnose electrical, mechanical, and firmware issues quickly under pressure and get systems back online. Communicate problems clearly to Engineering and collaborate on fixes.

  • Technical Communication: Translate complex tech jargon from engineering into clear, direct, common-sense language for the customer. Build strong rapport with military end-users and gather crucial operational insights. Provide a daily debrief to HQ and a full trip debrief upon return.

  • Matrix into Engineering: When you are not traveling or preparing for travel, you will be embedded with our Engineering Team, helping to assemble new units, build test fixtures, and document hardware performance in the lab. Qualifications & Skills

  • Education: B.S. in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

  • Hands-On Troubleshooting: A proven ability to build and debug physical prototypes is required (strong extracurricular projects and student project teams count!). Practical skills working with intricate mechanical assemblies are essential.

  • Broad Engineering Skills: Solid mechanical hand-tools proficiency, comfort with basic electrical wiring/multimeters, and experience using command-line tools for debugging.

  • Endurance, Grit, and Outdoor Character: You genuinely love traveling, the outdoors, and are comfortable operating in muddy, hot, or freezing austere training environments. We are looking for exceptional operational endurance and a relentless work ethic—someone who takes pride in working out tough problems and genuinely thrives under demanding conditions.

  • Base Access & Credentialing: This position requires regular travel to U.S. military installations and defense facilities. Candidates must meet the baseline security, background checking, and credentialing requirements necessary to secure unescorted access to these government facilities. Location

This position is based at our facility in Somerville, MA. 25% travel is required.

APPLY HERE

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How this job compares

Set against the 2,057 open Field Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 11, 2026.

Pay
  • This postingNot listed
  • Massachusetts median$82–144K/yr35 salary ranges
  • US median$21–25/hr230 hourly ranges
Openings
Olive Jobs lists 41 open Field Engineer jobs in Massachusetts and 2,057 across the US. 4% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Massachusetts
Experience
This posting asks for no prior experience — less than three in four Field Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 3 years, across 1,276 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 876 of the 2,057 open Field Engineer jobs (43%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 11, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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