Description
Company: TrueField Systems LLC Title: Chief Engineer Location: Oxford, NC Type: Full-Time | Early-Stage Startup | Field & Lab Environment Reports To: CEO / Co-Founder
About TrueField
TrueField is an early-stage agriculture company developing on-farm hardware and AI-assisted solutions for specialty grain and pulse crop producers. The initial product is a purpose-built pull-type harvester targeting 50–500 acre specialty operations producing soft wheat, malting barley, oats, rye, spelt, cover crop seed, lentils, dry peas, chickpeas, and edible beans — a segment with difficulty accessing right-sized, modern harvesting equipment.
The team combines defense engineering discipline, agricultural domain knowledge, and AI development capability. The Chief Engineer fills the core technical gap in that composition and is the company's first harvester-specific hire.
The Role
The Chief Engineer will lead all aspects of mechanical design, power systems, sensor integration, and field validation for TrueField's pull-type harvester from prototype through production. This is a clean-sheet design role with direct accountability for system architecture and performance outcomes. As TrueField's product portfolio expands, the role is expected to grow in scope.
Primary Responsibilities
Threshing and Separation System Design
-Lead mechanical design of the threshing and separation system optimized across the full small grain and pulse crop range, with settings tunable without major mechanical reconfiguration
-Develop variable-speed cylinder/rotor drive, adjustable concave geometry, and cleaning mechanism to achieve target grain loss and quality thresholds across crop types
-Design for single-operator adjustability from cab without stopping harvest
-Specify threshing component materials and surface treatments for multi-crop wear duty cycles
-Build and bench-test prototype sub-assemblies prior to field integration
Sensor Integration and Machine-Embedded Data Collection
-Mechanically integrate grain loss vision system, grain tank camera, and tailings elevator camera into harvester structure with appropriate vibration isolation, sealing, and field-service access
-Collaborate with electrical engineering colleagues on ISOBUS-compatible cab display and CAN bus harness routing
-Instrument prototype machines for AI training data collection including concave load sensors, acoustic loss detection, ground speed, and synchronized loss imaging
Field Testing and Validation
-Plan and execute seasonal field test programs across the full crop range — beginning in NC, VA, and the Mid-Atlantic, with subsequent expansion to the PNW and Northern Plains
-Define and track harvest performance KPIs including grain loss rate, split rate, throughput, and unload time
-Diagnose field failures and translate observations into documented design revisions
-Support early adopter farm placements as primary TrueField technical contact during initial harvest seasons
Requirements
Required Qualifications
-B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Biosystems Engineering, or closely related field
-5+ years of hands-on mechanical design experience in agricultural equipment, off-highway machinery, or rotating machinery — prior work on harvesters, combines, or threshing equipment strongly preferred
-Demonstrated proficiency in 3D CAD (OnShape, SolidWorks, CATIA, or equivalent) with fabrication-aware design practice
-Working knowledge of ASABE engineering standards applicable to harvesting equipment, including ASABE S495.1 and related standards
-Ability and willingness to work in field conditions during harvest season including variable weather and grain dust environments
-Strong written and verbal communication — independent documentation of design decisions, test results, and operator training materials is expected
-Demonstrated experience leading small engineering teams
-Candidates without direct mechanical or agricultural equipment design experience will not be considered
Preferred Qualifications
-Direct hands-on experience with specialty small grain or pulse crop harvesting — in either equipment design or as a grower/operator. Experience across both crop categories is a strong differentiator
-Familiarity with machine vision or sensor integration in agricultural field settings
-Experience with ISOBUS / ISO 11783 and CAN-based machine control architectures
-Exposure to agricultural AI, precision agriculture systems, or edge computing platforms
-Background in grain quality assessment including loss metering and split/crack evaluation methodology
Compensation
Competitive base salary and equity grant, commensurate with experience.
Submit a resume and cover letter to careers@truefield.ag with “Chief Engineer” in the subject line.
TrueField Systems LLC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
TrueField Systems LLC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application and interview process. If you require accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact us to make a request.