Field Optimization

About The Role

AIM builds autonomous machines that must continuously improve as they operate in the real world. Performance is not theoretical - it’s measured in productivity, efficiency, and predictability on real jobsites.

Field Optimization Engineers focus on making autonomy better at real tasks, closing the loop between field behavior and AI, planning, and control systems.

About you

You are analytical, curious, and deeply interested in how autonomous systems behave under real conditions. You enjoy working with operators, data, and models to improve performance over time.

You are equally comfortable:

analyzing autonomy performance metrics and error distributions

observing operators and understanding task-level workflows

diagnosing why a behavior works in theory but fails in practice

translating field observations into model and planning improvements

validating changes through real-world testing

You believe the field is the ultimate teacher - and that learning from it is a competitive advantage.

About us together

Together, we will:

improve task performance across dozing, excavation, loading, and more

identify the signals that make autonomy more robust and adaptive

validate learning and model improvements in the real world

feed high-quality insights back into AI and planning teams

turn field variability into system strength

We’ll iterate relentlessly, test under stress, and make autonomy measurably better with every deployment.

Responsibilities

Task Optimization & Performance

Tune autonomy behaviors for specific tasks and environments.

Analyze performance metrics, failure modes, and edge cases.

Validate ConOps, safety assumptions, and degraded-mode behavior against real site conditions.

Signal Discovery & AI Feedback

Identify patterns in autonomy behavior and failure.

Translate field insights into actionable inputs for AI and planning teams.

Validate improvements under real operating conditions.

Testing & Validation

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.

Product Integration & Custom Engineering

Write production-grade code when needed - scripts, integrations, custom workflows, or quick fixes to unblock deployments.

Build customer workflow integrations (data APIs, cloud ingestion, operator UI tweaks, etc.).

Partner with autonomy, software, and hardware teams to validate features in the field and influence product direction.

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)