Co-Founding Engineer / Entrepreneur in Residence

About the Opportunity

This client is building a highly unique innovation lab designed for rapid experimentation, deep-tech prototyping, and bold moonshot thinking. It is a rare chance to bring your wildest and best ideas to life alongside a tight-knit team of builders — with access to significant capital and resources, but without the pressures of venture capital dictating your next move.

The lab’s mission is to:

• Prototype ideas that could reshape industries and society

• Serve as a proving ground for ambitious, world-impacting ideas

• Build where no roadmaps exist yet

• Encourage experimentation across disciplines with speed and rigor

This is where raw ideas become real-world breakthroughs.

The Founding Team Engineer / Entrepreneur in Residence will join the core team responsible for launching the lab’s first generation of moonshot projects. The role is intentionally broad and entrepreneurial:

• Take ownership of early-stage “what if…” ideas, turning them into working prototypes

• Drive concepts through design, build, testing, and iteration

• Prove feasibility with working demonstrations that open the door to scaling

• Collaborate with other specialists, contributing expertise across projects and absorbing new perspectives

• Ultimately, grow successful projects into teams and programs under your leadership

This role is best suited to those who thrive in ambiguity, prefer building over remaining in the dream space, and want to push the edge of what’s possible in hardware, software, and integrated systems.

• Prior work in innovation labs, skunkworks, or early-stage R&D organizations (e.g., Google X, DARPA, Skunkworks, etc.)

• Track record of launching successful prototypes in open-ended, high-risk, high-reward domains

Logistical Requirements

ITAR Requirement

• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Success in this role is not defined by hours logged or polished presentations but by:

• Taking meaningful shots on goal — experimenting, testing, and iterating

• Demonstrating progress through working prototypes

• Driving at least one moonshot to external demonstration and scaling

• Contributing expertise across other breakthrough projects in the lab

• Strong benefits package
• $150,000-$310,000 salary

Equal Opportunity

About AdAstra

AdAstra Talent Advisors is a headhunting and talent advising firm focused on the Climate, Space, and Defense sectors of Hard Tech. We specialize in pairing highly technical and executive talent with some of the world’s leading Hard Tech startups.

At AdAstra, we catalyze the innovations that future generations depend on by placing the right people in the right seats. Our dedicated work enables inconceivable technology from Earth, to the stars. And it’s all because of trailblazing talent like you - those driven to do what’s never been done before.

We care about long term relationships with both candidates and companies. Even if the role we initially discuss isn’t a perfect fit, it’s likely we’ll have something relevant to share with you in the future.

Join us on our journey by following along via LinkedIn!

CEO, Seyka Mejeur | LinkedIn profile

CTO / COO, Brian Mejeur | LinkedIn profile

AdAstra Talent Advisors | LinkedIn profile

AdAstra Website