Founding Machinist

A stealth industrial hardware company is building microturbine generators for drones and humanoid robots using novel ceramic manufacturing processes. The goal is to make these systems 30–40% more efficient than today's small turbines while reducing production cost by roughly an order of magnitude.

The company has closed a large seed round from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and is scaling a 4+ MW-class operation and 40,000-square-foot production facility. This is a hands-on founding role for a machinist who wants to help turn early hardware into a world-class production operation.

What you'll work on

• Machine precision components and prototypes for compact microturbine generators.
• Develop practical setups, fixtures, tooling, and processes for tight-tolerance parts.
• Partner closely with mechanical engineers to move designs quickly from CAD to tested hardware.
• Improve repeatability, throughput, inspection, and quality as production scales from 1 → 100.
• Help shape the machine shop and manufacturing culture of an early industrial company.

Who we're looking for

• Strong hands-on CNC and/or manual machining experience.

• Evidence of excellent judgment around tolerances, workholding, tooling, inspection, and manufacturability.

• Experience in aerospace, turbines, precision hardware, advanced materials, or similarly demanding environments is valuable.

• High agency, craftsmanship, and a desire to build alongside a small founding team.

Note: Candidates should be based in or willing to work in the Los Angeles area.