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Skunkworks Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Devyantram

Chief Technology Officer

Ashburn, VA · On-site

Startup, skunkworks, or frontier‑technology experience. * Defense, aerospace, or hardened‑systems background. You Will Be Measured By * Speed from concept to functioning hardware. * Quality ...

Devyantram

Chief Technology Officer

Ashburn, VA · On-site

$180K - $200K/yr

... skunkworks, or frontier-technology experience. • Prior CTO, VP Engineering, or founding-engineer experience. • Defense, aerospace, or hardened-systems background. You Will Be Measured By • ...

General Matter

Tooling Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

$90K - $175K/yr

If you seek high-impact and are excited by fast-paced, intense, Skunkworks-style projects, we encourage you to reach out to join our team. Responsibilities: * Design and develop custom tooling, jigs ...

General Matter

Tooling Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$90K - $175K/yr

If you seek high-impact and are excited by fast-paced, intense, Skunkworks-style projects, we encourage you to reach out to join our team. Responsibilities: * Design and develop custom tooling, jigs ...

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How much do skunkworks jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for skunkworks in the United States is $109,393.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $85,000.00 and $125,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a skunkworks?

A Skunkworks job typically refers to working on a highly secretive or innovative project within a company, often with a small, autonomous team. These projects aim to develop breakthrough technologies or products outside the constraints of standard corporate processes. Skunkworks teams prioritize speed, agility, and creative problem-solving to push the boundaries of what is possible. The term originates from Lockheed Martin’s advanced development programs and has since been adopted across various industries.

What are the unique challenges and expectations when working on a skunkworks team?

Working on a Skunkworks team typically involves tackling highly confidential, high-impact projects with tight deadlines and shifting priorities, often requiring flexibility and resilience. You will be expected to work in a small, cross-functional group of experts who collaborate intensively to rapidly design, prototype, and iterate solutions. The work environment is usually dynamic and somewhat unconventional, with a strong emphasis on creativity, speed, and results over rigid process. This setting provides unique opportunities to shape industry-leading innovations, but also demands comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to challenge existing norms.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the skunkworks position, and why are they important?

To thrive in a Skunkworks role, you need advanced technical expertise in engineering or product development, a track record of innovative problem-solving, and experience managing confidential or experimental projects. Familiarity with rapid prototyping tools, CAD software, project management systems, and sometimes specialized security clearances is common. Strong collaboration, adaptability, and creative thinking are crucial soft skills for navigating ambiguity and complex challenges. These capabilities enable effective progress on breakthrough projects in high-stakes, fast-paced environments where pioneering solutions are developed under tight deadlines.

What are the requirements to work at Skunkworks?

To work at Skunkworks, candidates typically need a strong background in engineering, science, or technology, along with relevant experience in research and development. Security clearances and the ability to work in classified or confidential environments are often required, as well as proficiency with specialized tools and a high level of innovation and problem-solving skills.
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Skunkworks jobs near you
Infographic showing various Skunkworks job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $109,393 per year, or $52.6 per hour.

Chief Technology Officer

Ashburn, VA • On-site

Devyantram
See more jobs at Devyantramexternal

Other

Re-posted 21 days ago

Job description

Devyantram is building a unified platform of bionic robots, from nanoscale to humanoid, powered by a bionic brain system that fuses biotechnology, nanotechnology, and AI to tackle global challenges in climate, medicine, and defense.

Role Summary

Devyantram is building a multi-scale polymorphic bionic robotic system platform that integrates organoid intelligence, photonic computing, AI, and robotics into capable physical embodiments.

As CTO, you own Devyantram's company-wide technology vision and roadmap across the full stack, and you are personally the hands‑on technical leader for robotics hardware and embodiment. You set technical direction across organoid intelligence, photonic computing, AI, and bioelectronics in partnership with the domain leads who run those research programs, while owning mechanical, actuation, and physical‑systems architecture directly for the nanoscale to humanoid robots.

What You Will Own
  • Technology vision and roadmap across the full stack, shaped jointly with the CEO; technical authority and the call on how it gets built sit with you, with hardware and embodiment owned hands‑on.
  • End‑to‑end physical‑system architecture connecting brain, controls, power, sensing, actuation, and structure into unified platforms.
  • Actuation and transmission design: motors, drivetrains, soft actuators, artificial muscles, and smart‑material mechanisms.
  • Mechanical architecture, CAD workflows, prototyping, fabrication, and hardware‑integration pipelines, with a bias toward speed from concept to working hardware.
  • Integration of embedded electronics, power, thermal, and structural constraints under real operating envelopes, including defense‑grade reliability.
  • DFM and DFA strategy, supply chain, actuator and component sourcing, contract‑manufacturer relationships, and BOM‑cost discipline from first prototype through scale‑up.
  • Foundational mechanical and mechatronics IP: invention disclosures and patentable system designs, in coordination with patent counsel.
  • Building and leading the mechatronics and hardware function over time: hiring, mentoring, and setting engineering standards.
  • Technical authority in investor, partner, and diligence conversations on hardware and embodiment.
Required Qualifications
  • MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related field.
  • 8+ years in robotics hardware, mechatronics, or advanced mechanical systems.
  • Demonstrated technical leadership: founding engineer, technical lead, or comparable ownership of a hardware program and the engineers on it.
  • Whole‑system integration experience: you have shipped integrated robotic systems, not just designed isolated components.
  • Strong background in precision mechanisms, robotic actuation, and transmission design.
  • Hands‑on builder: strong prototyping, fabrication, and experimental‑validation skills. You are comfortable in the lab.
  • Fluency in CAD and mechanical design tools (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, CATIA, or similar). Table stakes, not the bar.
  • Ability to operate at both strategic and deeply technical levels in a startup environment.
  • Comfort operating in a defense‑adjacent context.
Strongly Preferred
  • Humanoid, legged, or advanced mobile‑manipulation experience.
  • Soft robotics, compliant systems, or bio‑inspired mechanisms.Experience with high‑performance, dynamic robotic platforms (Boston Dynamics‑class systems and the engineering culture behind them).
  • Working knowledge of ROS2, Isaac Sim, and the embodiment constraints that controls and simulation impose.
  • Startup, skunkworks, or frontier‑technology experience.
  • Defense, aerospace, or hardened‑systems background.
You Will Be Measured By
  • Speed from concept to functioning hardware.
  • Quality, robustness, and extensibility of our robotic embodiments.
  • Technical coherence between embodiment, controls, intelligence, and manufacturability.
  • Ability to translate ambitious platform vision into credible, dated engineering milestones.
  • Strength of hardware IP, patents filed, and defensibility of core designs.
  • Effectiveness in building the hardware‑engineering capability and team.

The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.

The pay range for this role is:

160,000 - 180,000 USD per year (Ashburn, VA)

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