PHYSICAL AI / AUTONOMY / REAL-WORLD OPERATIONS
ON-PREMISE / EDGE AI LEAD
Location : Austin, USA / Hybrid
ABOUT CENTINUS
Centinus builds physical AI and autonomous systems for real-world operations where speed, reliability, and operational effectiveness matter.
Our technology brings AI into the physical world, helping organizations understand complex activity, make faster decisions, and operate intelligent systems in demanding environments. We build for performance beyond the lab - where systems must be dependable, scalable, and ready to support meaningful action in the real world.
We are assembling a small, senior engineering team to solve difficult problems with lasting impact. This is an opportunity to shape the product, the engineering foundation, and the culture of an ambitious early-stage company.
THE ROLE
Centinus is seeking an On-Premise / Edge AI Lead to take our perception, world-model, and reasoning stack out of the cloud and run it on hardware the customer controls: a single GPU server, a ruggedized workstation, or an embedded module on a vehicle or drone, with no external connectivity.
You will decide what runs where, redesign services and models to fit strict memory, compute, power, and latency budgets, and shrink large models, including LLMs and vision-language models, without losing the accuracy that matters operationally. Your work determines whether a capability that runs on a cloud GPU today can run at the tactical edge tomorrow.
This is a hands-on lead role with broad responsibility across edge architecture, model optimization, and on-hardware validation.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Define the edge architecture: how detection, tracking, re-identification, enrichment, and reasoning split across standalone, on-premise, and embedded targets, and what each target must deliver.
Redesign services and runtimes for constrained, disconnected systems, with predictable memory use, scheduling, and failure behavior, graceful degradation, and no dependence on external services.
Optimize and compress models for the target hardware using quantization, pruning, architecture changes, and compiler and runtime tuning, to meet explicit memory, compute, power, and latency budgets.
Distill large LLMs, vision-language models, and foundation models into compact models that preserve task accuracy, including the teacher-student pipelines, data, and evaluation needed to prove it.
Build the benchmarking and hardware-in-the-loop validation that sets budgets, catches regressions, and measures what each compression step costs in operational accuracy; and partner with AI, autonomy, systems, and DevOps engineers to deliver production-ready edge builds.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Strong experience shipping ML models to production on resource-constrained hardware, with practical depth in quantization, pruning, distillation, and low-precision inference.
Strong grasp of the compute stack - GPU, NPU, and CPU performance, memory bandwidth, thermal and power limits, and profiling - and the ability to explain why a system is slow and fix it.
Hands-on experience with edge or embedded AI platforms and their inference toolchains (for example NVIDIA Jetson and TensorRT, ONNX Runtime, or comparable), and with real-time vision workloads such as detection, tracking, segmentation, and embeddings.
Strong Python and C++ (or Rust), with the ability to move between training frameworks and deployment runtimes and to design services that run reliably in a compact footprint.
Strong technical judgment, a measurement-first habit, and the ability to take substantial ownership and lead in a small senior engineering team.
Highly valued: experience compressing or serving LLMs and vision-language models on-device (small language models, KV-cache and memory tuning, speculative decoding), multi-object tracking or re-identification under real-time constraints, air-gapped or disconnected deployments, defense, public-safety, or government environments, and sensor integration (EO/IR, radar, passive RF).
BUILD WHAT MATTERS. GROW WITH CENTINUS.
At Centinus, the edge is where the product meets the customer's hardest constraints. You will help establish the foundation, make decisions with lasting impact, and expand your scope as the company grows.
Own the path that takes our AI from cloud development to standalone, disconnected systems operating beyond the lab.
Work directly with experienced leaders across AI, autonomy, systems, DevOps, and product, while defining the tools, benchmarks, and standards future teams will inherit.
Grow into broader technical and organizational leadership, including building the edge team, as the company scales.
See your work progress from engineering development to real operational use.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Centinus is an equal-opportunity employer. We value exceptional ability, sound judgment, intellectual honesty, diverse perspectives, and people who take ownership of difficult problems.
Your search query
Senior Mechanical Technician
Location: Livermore, CA (on-site)
Reports to: Director of Mechanical Engineering
Role type: Full-time, hands-on senior technical contributor
Mission
Build, modify, and prove out the rugged mechanical hardware behind 1AU Technologies’ defense systems—machining and fabricating parts, assembling enclosures, chassis, mechanisms, and integrated assemblies, and supporting the environmental test campaigns that qualify them for ground, maritime, airborne, and space deployments.
This role turns engineering drawings into qualified hardware: precision-machined components, leak-tight sealed assemblies, correctly torqued and documented builds, and instrumented test articles ready for the chamber and the shaker table.
Why this role matters
Defense hardware is proven in the shop and the test lab, not just in CAD. Vibration, shock, temperature extremes, sand and dust, salt fog, and rain will find every workmanship flaw—a missed torque spec, a pinched O-ring, a burr in a sealing groove—and turn it into a field failure where repair is rarely convenient.
The quality of the build determines the quality of the qualification. This role is the hands, eyes, and craftsmanship that make survivable hardware real—and the disciplined documentation, per AS9100 practices, that makes every build repeatable.
What success looks like (12–18 months)
- Prototype and production-representative assemblies built to drawing, on schedule, with complete travelers and as-built documentation per AS9100-aligned assembly processes.
- Environmental test campaigns—vibration, shock, thermal, rain, sand/dust, salt fog—supported end to end: fixtures fabricated, test articles instrumented, tests executed at internal and external labs.
- In-house machining and fabrication keeping build schedules moving—fast-turn part modifications, fixtures, and tooling produced without waiting on outside shops.
- Assembly procedures, torque specifications, sealing practices, and workmanship standards documented as reusable build standards.
- A machine shop and assembly area that is safe, organized, calibrated, and FOD-controlled.
Core responsibilities
1) Machine and fabricate
- Operate manual mill, lathe, and shop equipment to produce precision parts, fast-turn modifications, fixtures, and tooling.
- Fabricate sheet-metal and machined components—drilling, tapping, deburring, and finishing to drawing-specified fits and surface requirements.
- Execute hands-on rework and modifications in the machine shop to keep prototype builds and test campaigns moving.
- Build test fixtures, handling equipment, and assembly aids from engineering sketches or verbal direction.
2) Assemble defense hardware
- Assemble enclosures, chassis, mechanisms, and integrated electromechanical assemblies per drawings, work instructions, and torque specifications.
- Install gaskets, O-rings, environmental connectors, and vents; apply sealants, adhesives, thread-lockers, and staking per specification to protect against sand, dust, rain, salt fog, and humidity.
- Work within an AS9100-aligned quality system: follow travelers and work instructions, maintain calibration and FOD control, and document nonconformances and as-built configurations.
- Flag drawing errors, tolerance issues, and design-for-assembly improvements back to engineering with practical fixes.
3) Support environmental test campaigns
- Instrument test articles with accelerometers, thermocouples, and other sensors; route and strain-relieve cabling for vibration and thermal survival.
- Set up and support test execution per MIL-STD-810H methods—vibration, shock, temperature, thermal shock, rain, humidity, salt fog, sand and dust—at internal and external labs.
- Perform pre- and post-test inspections and teardowns; photograph, measure, and document hardware condition to support root-cause investigations.
- Fabricate and modify test fixtures and interface plates to lab and program schedules.
4) Inspect and document
- Read and interpret engineering drawings, including GD&T, and verify parts and assemblies with calipers, micrometers, height gauges, and pin gauges.
- Perform in-process and receiving inspections; disposition or escalate nonconforming hardware.
- Maintain build records, redlines, torque logs, and as-built documentation that stand up to program and quality audits.
5) Keep the shop and lab running
- Maintain shop equipment, tooling, and consumable inventory; keep work areas safe, organized, and 5S-disciplined.
- Manage tool calibration schedules and FOD-control practices for assembly and test areas.
- Coordinate day-to-day with machine shops, finishers, and suppliers on part pickups, drop-offs, and quick-turn jobs.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of hands-on experience as a mechanical, manufacturing, or test technician building electromechanical hardware for defense, aerospace, or similarly demanding environments.
- Trade school, apprenticeship, associate degree, or equivalent hands-on experience.
- Proficiency in manual machining (mill and lathe) and general fabrication—drilling, tapping, deburring, precision hand-fitting.
- Strong mechanical assembly fundamentals: fastener torque control, thread-locking, sealing with O-rings and gaskets, adhesives and bonding.
- Exposure to AS9100 (or comparable) quality systems for assembly processes—travelers, work instructions, calibration, FOD control, nonconformance documentation.
- Ability to read engineering drawings including GD&T, and skill with precision measurement tools.
- Experience supporting environmental, qualification, or acceptance testing—including instrumentation of test articles.
- Comfortable in fast-paced, hardware-driven R&D: working from redlines, iterating quickly, and communicating issues early.
- Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR/EAR.
Nice-to-have
- SolidWorks CAD experience for fixture design, drawing markups, and simple part modeling.
- 3D printing experience (FDM, SLA, or similar) for tooling, prototypes, and assembly aids.
- CNC programming and setup experience (conversational or CAM).
- Direct experience with MIL-STD-810 test methods and environmental test lab operations.
- Welding, soldering (IPC/J-STD), or cable harness fabrication experience.
- Active Secret (or higher) U.S. security clearance.
Traits we value
- Craftsmanship: takes pride in hardware that is built right the first time and documented so others can build it right too.
- Mentor: raises the workmanship bar by training junior technicians and setting shop and assembly standards.
- Ownership: sees a build or test through from kitting to teardown without waiting to be asked.
- Practical problem-solver who keeps hardware moving—and knows when to stop and escalate.
- Clear communicator who surfaces drawing errors, workmanship concerns, and safety issues early.
- Thrives in high-stakes environments where ruggedness and reliability are non-negotiable.
The Opportunity
I'm working with a growing specialist power systems business that is looking to add an experienced Field Service Technician to its team.
This is a hands-on, field-based role suited to someone with an electrical background and experience working with power distribution equipment, including transformers, circuit breakers and low and medium-voltage (LV/MV) switchgear.
You'll be visiting customer sites to carry out troubleshooting, maintenance, repairs, testing and commissioning, helping ensure critical electrical systems operate safely and reliably.
If you enjoy working in the field, solving technical problems and working directly with customers, this could be an excellent next step.
Key Responsibilities
- Carry out onsite troubleshooting, maintenance and repairs on electrical power systems and equipment.
- Work with transformers, circuit breakers, LV/MV switchgear and associated electrical controls.
- Perform system diagnostics and fault-finding to identify and resolve technical issues.
- Support equipment start-ups, testing and commissioning to ensure systems operate as intended.
- Use electrical test equipment, including multimeter and breaker test sets, to diagnose faults and verify performance.
- Provide technical support to customers, explaining issues and advising on equipment operation and basic maintenance.
- Complete service reports, test documentation and accurate records of work carried out.
- Work alongside other field service engineers and technicians to deliver effective service.
What we're looking for
- 3–5 years' hands-on experience in field service, electrical maintenance or a similar technical role.
- Experience troubleshooting, maintaining and repairing electrical equipment.
- A background working with transformers, circuit breakers, switchgear or power distribution systems.
- Familiarity with low and medium-voltage electrical systems.
- Experience using electrical testing and diagnostic equipment.
- Strong fault-finding and problem-solving skills.
- Good communication skills and the ability to work independently at customer sites.
- A valid driver's license and a clean driving record.
- Willingness to travel regularly, including overnight stays.
Desirable experience:
- PLCs and industrial control systems.
- SCADA systems or protective relays.
- Relevant electrical safety certifications, such as NFPA 70E or OSHA 30.
- An associate's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
What's on offer:
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
- On-the-job training and opportunities to develop your technical expertise.
- A collaborative team environment with opportunities to build your career in power systems and electrical engineering.
If you have a background in electrical field service, switchgear, transformers or power distribution and are looking for your next opportunity, I'd love to hear from you.
⚡ Control Engineer | PLC & HMI
I'm working on an exciting opportunity for a Controls Engineer to lead the development of PLC and HMI programming for innovative power systems and technologies.
If you have a strong controls engineering background and enjoy combining hands-on programming with technical leadership, this could be a great next step.
🔧 Key Responsibilities:
- Design, development and support of control systems including PLC and HMI control systems.
- Interpret customer specifications and guide engineering and design teams.
- Troubleshoot technical issues across engineering, manufacturing and project delivery.
- Support customer projects, technical proposals and cost estimates.
- Develop technical documentation, procedures and training materials.
- Collaborate with customers, suppliers and cross-functional teams.
✅ What We're Looking For:
- 5+ years of experience in controls engineering, automation or related fields.
- Hands-on experience with PLC and HMI programming.
- Knowledge of industrial communication protocols such as Modbus and Ethernet-based protocols.
- Strong technical problem-solving and project coordination skills.
- Experience with SCADA, protective relays or system integration would be a plus.
Experience across power, utilities, renewable energy, energy storage or data centers would be particularly valuable.
Interested in hearing more?
Click apply!
Senior Solutions Engineer | IoT & Telematics | Atlanta, GA | Competitive Package
I'm working with a global leader in IoT hardware and GPS asset tracking solutions looking to add a Senior Solutions Engineer to support their growing North American business.
This is a customer-facing, technically hands-on position focused on designing and delivering IoT solutions, working closely with customers, sales teams and product engineering.
Ideal candidate would have a background in:
-
IoT & Telematics: Experience with GPS tracking, connected devices, asset monitoring, sensors or similar IoT hardware.
-
Technical Presales: Customer discovery, technical demonstrations, solution scoping, proposals and proof-of-concept development.
-
Solution Architecture: Designing end-to-end solutions involving hardware, connectivity, firmware and software integration.
-
Cellular Connectivity: Understanding of 4G/LTE, LTE-M, NB-IoT and other wireless communication technologies.
-
Hardware & Engineering: Comfortable troubleshooting physical devices, working with sensors and defining hardware or firmware customisations.
-
Customer Engagement: Experience supporting enterprise customers and translating complex technical requirements into practical solutions.
This is a senior individual-contributor role with significant technical ownership, supporting customers and commercial teams across the Americas.
Location & Package
-
Atlanta, Georgia
-
Competitive base salary + bonus
-
Travel across North America as required
Interested? Drop me a message or apply directly!
Japan Development / Project Manager
Location: Japan
Language: Fluent Japanese
Experience: 5–8 years
The Opportunity
An established international data centre business is looking to appoint a Development / Project Manager to support its continued expansion in Japan.
This is a hands-on role suited to someone with experience across project development, acquisitions or infrastructure, who can manage local stakeholders and drive opportunities through the development lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities
-
Support data centre development and acquisition opportunities across Japan.
-
Manage projects from initial site assessment through to development and delivery.
-
Support land and power acquisition, due diligence and feasibility assessments.
-
Coordinate consultants, contractors, local stakeholders and internal teams.
-
Support commercial negotiations, deal execution and project approvals.
-
Identify risks and help drive projects forward in a fast-paced environment.
Experience Required
-
5–8 years' experience in project management, development, acquisitions or infrastructure.
-
Background in data centres, power, energy, real estate or related infrastructure.
-
Understanding of the Japanese development and business environment.
-
Experience managing stakeholders, consultants and project delivery.
-
Commercially minded, proactive and comfortable working autonomously.
-
Fluent Japanese is essential; business-level English preferred.
Ideal Backgrounds
Candidates from data centre developers, infrastructure businesses, energy companies, real estate development, consultancies or acquisition teams will be considered.
This is an opportunity to join a growing international platform and play a key role in its expansion across the Japanese market.
BMS Engineer | Sydney | Niagara
I'm working with a specialist building automation business in Sydney that is looking to add experienced BMS Engineers to its team following the expansion of an existing project.
This is a great opportunity to join a technically strong team delivering building automation and controls solutions across complex projects.
The Role
-
Design, develop and implement building management system solutions.
-
Work with Tridium Niagara across BMS projects.
-
Support project delivery, system integration, testing and commissioning.
-
Collaborate with project teams to deliver high-quality technical solutions.
-
Contribute to the delivery of an expanding project portfolio.
What We're Looking For
-
Experience as a BMS Engineer or Building Automation Engineer.
-
Strong knowledge of Tridium Niagara.
-
Experience with BMS design, engineering and system integration.
-
Exposure to commissioning and project delivery.
-
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work within a technical team.
The Opportunity
-
Join an established building automation specialist in Sydney.
-
Work on an expanding project with a strong pipeline of work.
-
Be part of a collaborative and technically focused team.
-
Competitive salary package, dependent on experience.
If you're a BMS Engineer with Niagara experience and interested in exploring a new opportunity in Sydney, I'd be keen to have a confidential conversation.
📩 Get in touch directly to find out more.
Machine Learning Engineer
New York, NY (on-site) | Up to $240k base + equity
I'm working with a well funded AI and robotics startup in NYC. Their robots run real world experiments around the clock, and AI decides what to try next. Small team, serious backing, and models that get used for real.
They need an ML Engineer to take models from research into production, working side by side with their researchers and owning everything from training to serving.
What you'll do
- Turn research ideas into working, tested code
- Build and run training and fine tuning pipelines
- Build the evals that decide if a model is ready to ship
- Deploy models and improve speed and cost
- Own how models perform after launch
What they're looking for
- 4+ years in ML engineering or research engineering
- Hands on PyTorch: you've trained and debugged models yourself
- Models taken all the way into production
- Strong Python with real engineering discipline
- Cloud, containers and GPU workloads
- LLM fine tuning, model serving or agent systems
- Distributed training or inference optimisation
- Scientific ML or reinforcement learning
Package: Up to $250k base, equity, fully covered healthcare, unlimited PTO. Visa transfers supported.
Perception Engineer
New York, NY (on-site) | Up to $250k base + equity
I'm working with a well funded AI and robotics startup in NYC. Their robots run real world experiments around the clock, and AI decides what to try next. Small team, serious backing, and work that leaves the simulator every day.
They need a Perception Engineer to own how the robots see: spotting objects, checking their state and picking them up accurately.
What you'll do
- Design and deploy 2D and 3D vision systems for manipulation and inspection
- Build detection, segmentation and pose estimation pipelines
- Own camera calibration and accuracy across the system
- Feed vision into motion planning and grasping with the robotics team
What they're looking for
- 5+ years deploying vision on real robots or automation
- Hands on with 2D/3D cameras, lenses and lighting
- Production Python and C++
- ROS 2 or equivalent
- Sim2Real experience
Nice to have
- VLA or multimodal models running on robots
- Automation or scientific instrumentation background
Package: Up to $250k base, equity, fully covered healthcare, unlimited PTO. Visa transfers supported.
Interested, or know someone who fits? Message me or send your resume over.
Senior Software Engineer, Core Infrastructure
New York, NY (on-site) | Up to $300k base + equity
I'm working with a well funded AI and robotics startup in NYC. Their software controls robots running real world experiments, so it has to be right every time. Small team, serious backing, and real technical ownership.
They need a senior backend and infrastructure engineer to own the core of the platform and set its technical direction.
What you'll do
- Own the scheduling system that coordinates the robots and equipment
- Own the Go services and APIs behind the platform
- Run Kubernetes across cloud and on prem
- Scale the platform with zero downtime deploys
What they're looking for
- 7+ years building and running production backend systems
- Go or Rust on the server side
- Fault tolerant distributed systems
- Kubernetes in production with infrastructure as code
- gRPC and Protocol Buffers
- You've led a big technical project from design to production
- Scheduling or planning algorithms
- Software that controls physical equipment
Package: Up to $300k base, equity, fully covered healthcare, unlimited PTO. Visa transfers supported.