Senior Automation Engineer, Vision

About Mach Industries

Founded in 2023, Mach Industries is a rapidly growing defense technology company focused on developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms. At the core of our mission is the commitment to delivering scalable, decentralized defense systems that enhance the strategic capabilities of the United States and its allies. With a workforce of approximately 350 employees, we operate with startup agility and ambition.

Our vision is to redefine the future of warfare through cutting-edge manufacturing, innovation at speed, and unwavering focus on national security. We are dedicated to solving the next generation of warfare with lethal systems that deter kinetic conflict and protect global security.

The Role

Mach Industries is seeking a Senior Automation Engineer, Vision to develop and standardize machine vision systems across manufacturing.

You will develop proof-of-concept vision systems using industrial cameras, optics, lighting, profilometers, vision controllers, and edge compute, then translate successful concepts into standardized hardware and software architectures that can be deployed across production equipment.

This is a highly hands-on engineering role. You will build vision systems in the lab and on manufacturing equipment, characterize imaging performance, develop acquisition and processing methods, define compute requirements, and establish the technical standards used by internal teams and external systems integrators.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop Mach's standardized machine vision platform for automated manufacturing equipment.
• Design and build proof-of-concept vision systems using industrial cameras, lenses, lighting, filters, profilometers, depth cameras, and other optical sensors.
• Select and characterize cameras, optics, lighting, sensors, controllers, and acquisition hardware for manufacturing applications.
• Define edge compute requirements based on acquisition rates, processing workloads, latency, and machine cycle-time requirements.
• Select and benchmark CPUs, GPUs, industrial PCs, and other compute hardware for production vision applications.
• Develop image acquisition methods including exposure, triggering, synchronization, lighting control, field of view, depth of field, resolution, and optical configuration.
• Develop 2D and 3D vision applications for inspection, measurement, localization, guidance, identification, and process monitoring.
• Develop applications using laser profilometers, stereo/depth cameras, structured-light systems, and other 3D sensing technologies.
• Optimize vision pipelines using GPU acceleration, parallel computing, and other hardware-accelerated approaches where required to meet production cycle times.
• Design experiments to characterize measurement capability, repeatability, resolution, robustness, processing latency, and sensitivity to process variation.
• Develop standardized hardware architectures for cameras, lenses, lighting, profilometers, controllers, networking, and edge compute.
• Establish standards for camera mounting, lighting geometry, calibration, triggering, image acquisition, image storage, diagnostics, and system validation.
• Define standardized interfaces between vision systems and Beckhoff TwinCAT machine controls.
• Develop reusable software, libraries, configuration methods, and diagnostic tools for common vision applications.
• Partner with manufacturing and quality engineers to translate process and inspection requirements into robust automated vision solutions.
• Support vision-guided robotics, automated inspection, process monitoring, and closed-loop manufacturing applications.
• Translate successful proof-of-concept systems into specifications and standards for production equipment.
• Review vision systems delivered by equipment OEMs and systems integrators and ensure compliance with Mach standards.
• Support FAT, SAT, commissioning, troubleshooting, and production ramp of

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Computer Engineering, Optical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience developing machine vision, optical inspection, metrology, or automated manufacturing systems.
• Hands-on experience selecting and integrating industrial cameras, lenses, lighting, and vision hardware.
• Strong understanding of imaging fundamentals including resolution, field of view, depth of field, exposure, contrast, lighting geometry, and optical distortion.
• Experience developing and deploying 2D or 3D machine vision applications.
• Experience defining edge compute requirements and selecting hardware based on image-processing workloads, latency, throughput, and machine cycle-time requirements.
• Experience with CUDA or other GPU-accelerated, hardware-accelerated, or parallel computing approaches for high-performance image processing.
• Experience profiling and optimizing vision pipelines to meet deterministic production performance requirements.
• Experience integrating vision systems with PLC-controlled or robotic manufacturing equipment.
• Experience taking vision applications from proof of concept through commissioning and production.
• Strong experimental and troubleshooting skills with the ability to develop and debug systems directly on manufacturing equipment.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience with industrial vision platforms such as Cognex, Keyence, Basler, Teledyne, LMI, SICK, or similar.
• Experience with 3D and depth-sensing platforms such as Intel RealSense, Luxonis OAK, Stereolabs ZED, or similar.
• Experience with laser profilometers, stereo vision, structured-light systems, 3D cameras, point clouds, or other optical metrology and perception technologies.
• Experience with ROS 2, including integration of cameras, perception pipelines, coordinate transforms, and robotic systems.
• Experience developing standardized vision architectures deployed across multiple machines or production lines.
• Experience integrating vision systems with Beckhoff TwinCAT and EtherCAT-based automation systems.
• Experience with OpenCV, HALCON, Cognex VisionPro, or similar machine vision software.
• Experience with NVIDIA GPUs, Jetson, industrial GPU platforms, or other edge-compute architectures.
• Experience with image processing, feature extraction, segmentation, pattern matching, dimensional inspection, defect detection, and calibration.
• Experience with vision-guided robotics, hand-eye calibration, camera-to-robot calibration, and 3D localization.
• Experience developing custom lighting solutions including bright-field, dark-field, backlighting, diffuse, coaxial, and structured illumination.
• Experience with GigE Vision, GenICam, USB3 Vision, or other industrial imaging standards.
• Familiarity with machine learning or deep-learning-based visual inspection and perception.
• Experience working with systems integrators and equipment OEMs in aerospace, defense, automotive, semiconductor, electronics, or other advanced manufacturing environments.

Additional Requirements

• Available to work extended hours and weekends as needed

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

Senior Engineer

$150,000—$195,000 USD

At Mach, we believe that compensation is more than just a paycheck. It's a comprehensive package designed to reward the time, skills, and expertise you bring to our team. We are committed to offering competitive compensation that is equitable, transparent, and aligned with market trends.

Key Elements of Our Compensation Philosophy:

• Competitive Salaries: We continuously research market rates to ensure our salaries are competitive with those in our industry and geographic location.
• Performance-Based Incentives: Our bonus structure is tied to both individual and company performance, creating a win-win scenario that motivates our team members to excel.
• Equity Participation: We offer stock options or equity to employees, ensuring that you share in the success and growth of the company.
• Benefit Packages: Our benefits include healthcare, dental and vision plans, retirement savings, and paid time off, because we understand that your well-being extends beyond the office.
• Professional Development: We allocate funds for continuing education, training, and career growth.
• Transparency: We are committed to openness about our compensation tiers and how decisions are made, ensuring trust and mutual respect.

By joining Mach, you’re not just accepting a job-you’re becoming a key part of a team that values your contributions and invests in your growth. Together, we aim to create a rewarding environment that sets the stage for long-term success.

Data Privacy

To view Mach Industries candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://machindustries.com/privacy-policy.

Disclosures

This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).  Please note that any offer for employment may be conditioned on authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export control laws and regulations without sponsorship for an export license.

Mach participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offers may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and training, critical skills, and business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in most offers and are considered part of Mach’s total compensation package. Mach offers benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and opportunities for professional development.

Mach is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws. If you’d like to defend the American way of life, please reach out!