About the Role

Mission Operator

The future of defense will be decided by those who field intelligent machines at scale. At Scout, we’re developing Fury, the first robotic foundation model for defense, to give U.S. forces overwhelming, adaptable, and autonomous power across every domain. Fury enables human operators to command fleets of robots through natural language, and empowers those machines to sense, decide, and act together as one. It’s not just a leap in autonomy, it’s a force multiplier built for real-world conflict. This mission will ask everything of us: urgency, precision, and relentless work.

The Role

We’re hiring Mission Operators to support our unmanned ground vehicle programs and ensure our platforms are ready to execute in the field. Mission Operators work under the direction of a Sr. Mission Operator and are responsible for the day-to-day operation, maintenance, and readiness of Scout’s robotic systems and support equipment.

You’ll spend most of your week in the field, conducting test missions, operating unmanned ground vehicles, and keeping our fleet in peak condition. This role is hands-on: you’ll be driving, wrenching, towing, troubleshooting, and ensuring that when our engineers or operators need a platform, it’s ready to go. Your work is the backbone that enables testing, data collection, and rapid iteration on cutting-edge autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Operate unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and support vehicles during testing and data collection missions

• Perform routine maintenance, inspections, and repairs on UGVs, trailers, and support equipment

• Support Sr. Mission Operator in executing mission test plans and ensuring safety protocols are followed

• Handle logistics including vehicle prep, trailering, fueling, and field setup/breakdown

• Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, or software issues in the field and escalate when needed

• Track equipment status, maintenance schedules, and readiness

• Provide feedback to engineering and operations teams on vehicle performance and issues

• Uphold high safety standards for personnel and equipment at all times

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience operating and maintaining vehicles, robotics platforms, or heavy equipment

• Comfortable driving off-road, towing trailers, and working in rugged environments

• Mechanical aptitude with ability to troubleshoot and perform basic repairs

• Strong situational awareness and commitment to safety

• Clear communicator, especially in dynamic or high-pressure field conditions

• Active and motivated to spend most of the week outdoors in field operations

• Mission-driven and eager to contribute to the development of autonomous defense systems

• Ability to travel 50 – 75%

• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities

Why Join Scout

• Work on the world’s most important frontier, ensuring U.S. and allied dominance in the age of intelligent machines

• Be a core part of a team building the first defense-specific robotic foundation model

• Collaborate with some of the top engineers in autonomy, AI, and national security

• See your work deployed on real systems

• Help define the future of intelligent defense systems

• Backed by Draper Associates, Booz Allen Ventures, and other top investors

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and meaningful equity

• Premium medical, dental, and vision plans with $0 paycheck contribution

• Competitive PTO and company holiday calendar

• Catered lunch daily and fully stocked kitchen

• EV charging

• Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility)

About the Company

Scout AI is a venture-backed defense technology company based in Sunnyvale, California, focused on building the "AI brain" for defense robotics. Founded in 2024, Scout AI develops Fury, a Vision-Language-Action (VLA) foundation model designed to transform uncrewed platforms—across ground, air, sea, and space—into intelligent, mission-adaptive agents. Their technology enables real-time, collaborative autonomy for defense robots, allowing for natural language command and coordination, even in GPS- and communications-denied environments. Scout AI’s platform-agnostic approach means their AI can be integrated into any robotic system, using commercial off-the-shelf hardware for scalable, cost-effective deployment.

People interested in working at Scout AI will appreciate the company’s mission-driven culture and its focus on cutting-edge AI and robotics for national security. The team is composed of top engineers and mission operations experts, working in a fast-paced environment with state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing facilities in Silicon Valley. Employees have the opportunity to contribute to the rapid development and deployment of next-generation autonomous systems, with a strong emphasis on innovation, adaptability, and real-world impact. Scout AI’s commitment to building foundational technology for defense ensures that team members are at the forefront of both AI research and practical field applications.
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Scout AI

Mission Operator

Type
full-time
Department
Operations
Location
Scout HQ
Salary
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