Field Applications Engineer - Unmanned Solutions

Our Business Development Team is seeking a Field Applications Engineer - Unmanned Solutions. You would serve as a primary technical point of contact for TrellisWare’s customers, with a focus on unmanned air, ground, and maritime platforms. In support of the Business Development Team and the overall business growth of TrellisWare, the FAE supports capture of new business and ongoing customer relationships by providing technical expertise to include advising and/or performing customer integration projects, giving new product and capability demonstrations, and providing on-site subject matter expertise during large-scale field exercises and unmanned solutions events. This position collaborates with end users, vendors, platform integrators, and our internal product development team to maximize product effectiveness and generate new applications for TrellisWare products on unmanned systems. In addition to understanding what the customer explicitly requests, the FAE will also identify needs and requirements that the customers themselves may not have recognized, and will provide solutions.

In addition to customer-facing duties, the FAE advises internal TrellisWare teams such as product development and engineering about industry trends and customer needs in the unmanned systems market that may lead to product enhancements or new product development. The FAE provides Voice of the Customer (VoC) inputs based on field experience and customer feedback.

Enhancing cohesiveness and maintaining team morale is a responsibility of all our team members, as is the ambition for self-improvement and talent development. Through this dedication to unity and professional advancement, each team member is directly impacting the successful outcome of TrellisWare’s deliverables and setting the tone for our core values of delivering excellence, pushing boundaries, and empowering people.

The essential duties and responsibilities include:

• Provides pre-sales, post-sales, and customer support for all TrellisWare product offerings both onsite and remotely, with emphasis on unmanned systems integration.
• Provides customers with custom-tailored communications solutions for their specific systems, including unmanned air, ground, surface, and undersea platforms.
• Generates new applications of our products for customers by collaborating with end users, vendors, platform integrators, and the internal product development team.
• Identifies customer issues with TrellisWare products and features and works closely with the customer to resolve those issues in manned and unmanned configurations.
• Adapts standard TSM product offerings to a specific customer use case. Provides input and guidance on implementation of TSM to meet their mission requirements, including size, weight, power, and thermal constraints common to unmanned platforms.
• Provides technical support for customers to help them understand the more advanced features of TrellisWare’s products to accomplish complex use cases, including beyond-line-of-sight relay, multi-vehicle networking, and payload data transport.
• Identifies risks in fielded products or products under development that would negatively impact the customer, particularly in unmanned systems deployments.
• Supports the product development process by providing Voice of the Customer (VoC) input, capturing customer's expectations, preferences and aversions.
  • Communicates needed feature changes or updates to Product Management Team.
  • Communicates customer issues and feedback on field operation of TrellisWare products to all stakeholders, including both successful and unsuccessful systems integrations and product operability. May provide workaround solutions.
  • Provides lessons learned in the field as customers use TrellisWare products in real-time and translates the use case to the appropriate TW Team for design/development improvement.
  • Clarifies customer expectations of TrellisWare products and use case profiles to help TrellisWare Teams design and develop products and documentation that meet customer needs and expectations.
• Provides consultation and technical support to sales and business development leads in securing of new business, field troubleshooting of products and integrations, performing demonstrations, and contributing to trade show booth customer interactions, including unmanned systems exhibitions and exercises.
• Conducts field demonstrations, product training, integration with 3rd party accessories (such as antennas, headsets, power sources, cameras, microphones), applications (voice, IP data, video, etc.), and product documentation. A strong emphasis on IP networking is a must.
• Supports integration of TrellisWare radios and waveforms onto unmanned platforms, including mechanical mounting, power and antenna interfaces, payload data paths, and ground control station connectivity.
• Crafts and delivers technical presentations of TrellisWare offerings to new and existing customers, including unmanned solutions program offices and integrators.
• Develops relationships with team members built on trust and respect.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Education and work experience requirements are:

• Four-year technical degree or military related service experience equivalent.
• Minimum of 7 years of related experience in the market or technology segments identified; 10+ years of relevant experience preferred.

• Demonstrates track record in fielding, integration, and troubleshooting unmanned systems and networked communications products.
• A known track record of communication system deployments in the applicable market segment(s) is a must. 
• Experience in US Special Forces, US Military, and/or commercial specialty communications communities are highly desired.

To be considered for this position, you would need to meet, at a minimum, the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed here:

• Strong understanding of IP data including addressing schemes, IP switches/router interface, gateway functionality, TCP/UDP protocols and the best methods for transfer over data pipe.
• In-depth understanding of Military and how unmanned systems are deployed and utilized. Demonstrated familiarity with wideband networked military and commercial communication products and government contracting. Understands the military communications markets and their deployment practices including Public Safety, USSOCOM, Army, Navy and Air Force as well as other government agencies and the tactical communications products they use.
• Familiarity with unmanned systems architectures, including air vehicle, ground control station, and payload interfaces, and how tactical waveforms support command and control, ISR, and relay missions.
• Demonstrated strong documentation skills and proficiency with PC office applications.
• Ability to seamlessly integrate communications products with other customer systems and maximize network performance. Knowledge of electrical and mechanical integration for when customers decide they want to integrate radios into cars, aircraft, ships, or unmanned platforms.
• Ability to understand complex communication and engineering concepts and explain them to customers in simple, understandable ways.
• In-depth understanding of the design, manufacturing, testing, and sales procedures for handheld, manpack and embedded radio products.
• Ability to analyze, troubleshoot and fix network performance issues through monitoring and troubleshooting systems, including links involving airborne or mobile unmanned nodes.
• Ability to work independently, demonstrated initiative, and ability to interact with a variety of engineering development teams, acquisition/procurement specialists, platform integrators, and communications and/or networking product users.
• Demonstrated professionalism in customer-facing field events.
• Strong collaborative drive and interpersonal skills.
• Strong initiative, proactive work ethic and prioritization skills.
• Trustable judgement and analytical problem-solving skills.
• Effective execution and decision making.
• Champion of change and innovation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to travel 50-75% domestically and internationally.

Additional requirements are:

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• An active Secret security clearance (or higher) or the ability to obtain one
• Must have U.S. passport or ability to obtain one within three months

The physical demands described here represent those that must be met in order to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable those with qualified disabilities.

• Able to frequently sit, stand, walk, use hands to fingers, handle or feel, reach within hands and arm’s length, stoop, kneel, and crouch, talk and hear.
• Regularly required to sit and stand for extended periods of time; frequently required to use office equipment such as PC, printer, telephone, etc.
• Able to regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Able to travel internationally on commercial airlines.

Note: Many of TrellisWare's positions require a security clearance or the ability to obtain one. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens. In addition, applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment may be subject to government security investigation(s) and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

San Diego, California Pay Range 110000 - 155000 USD