# We're Hiring **Herding Cats Research LLC** is a small, veteran-led AI research firm building decision-support and autonomous systems for U.S. defense missions. We are hiring three roles to scale our DARPA CLARA research pipeline and prepare for follow-on contracts. > If you have shipped real software under real deadlines — and you would rather build tools that help soldiers make better decisions than ship another ad-tech pipeline — read on. --- ## Who We Are Herding Cats Research is a Texas LLC formed March 31, 2026. Our founder, Edgar "Jeep" Marshall, is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with twenty-plus years in Signal and Cyber. HCR's research program focuses on: - **Multi-agent AI orchestration** — how do teams of AI agents plan, execute, and course-correct the way a military staff does? - **Decision support at the edge** — tools that help humans choose faster and more honestly when the picture is incomplete. - **Autonomous systems for contested environments** — perception, planning, and recovery under adversary pressure. We operate like a small research shop, not a product startup. Our customers are program offices and research agencies. Our deliverables are prototypes, papers, and working code. If that sounds like the kind of work you want, you are in the right place. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certification is pending through the U.S. Small Business Administration. --- ## What We Value **Mission focus.** The work is defense research. We expect you to care that it matters, not just that it pays. **Ship the thing.** We would rather ship a prototype that runs than a paper that reasons about running. Papers follow. **Plain speech.** No buzzword bingo. If you cannot describe what you are doing to a smart Major at Fort Leavenworth, your design is too complicated. **Operational discipline.** Meetings start on time. Commits land with messages. Tasks have owners. We learned this in uniform; we expect it in contract. **Intellectual honesty.** When a measurement contradicts a hypothesis, the hypothesis loses. No exceptions. --- ## Open Roles We are currently hiring for three positions. Click through for full details. ### 1. Senior Mac / Software Engineer (two openings) Build and ship the core of HCR's research tooling on macOS and Linux. You will own substantial pieces of the codebase end to end — from design through deployment. Swift, Python, and whatever else the problem demands. Prior military technical experience is a significant plus. **→ [[JD-Senior-Mac-Software-Engineer|Full job description]]** ### 2. Principal Engineering Lead Technical leadership of a small, senior team shipping prototypes for DoD research customers. Set architecture direction, mentor the engineering bench, run technical reviews, own the integration story across research lines. This is the "keep the pack moving in the right direction" role. **→ [[JD-Principal-Engineering-Lead|Full job description]]** ### 3. Senior Advisor — Officer Transition Pathway A two-year hybrid engagement for a transitioning O-5 or O-6 with AI/autonomy program experience and active DoD-industry relationships. Advisory role with equity and a structured glide path into full-time at the end of the engagement. **→ [[JD-Senior-Advisor-Officer-Pathway|Full job description]]** --- ## How to Apply We read every application ourselves. No ATS, no keyword filter, no recruiter gatekeeping. **Send your application to `[email protected]`** with: - **Subject line:** `[Role Title] – Last Name, First Name` - Examples: `[Senior Mac Engineer] – Garcia, Maria` · `[Principal Engineering Lead] – Kim, David` - **Resume** attached as `LastName_FirstName_Resume.pdf` (PDF only; no .doc, no links-only) - **Cover letter or mission statement** (optional but encouraged) — a few paragraphs on why this work and why HCR - **Portfolio, GitHub, or public research link** if relevant — one good link beats five shallow ones **What happens next:** 1. You will receive an auto-acknowledgment within one business hour. 2. We review applications on a rolling basis. Expect a response — pass or pass-for-now — within ten business days. 3. If we move forward, we will schedule a 30-minute screening call. 4. From first conversation to offer: typically three to five weeks. We do not send "form rejections." If we pass, we will tell you why in one or two honest sentences. We expect the same courtesy in return when you are deciding between us and somewhere else. --- ## Location, Compensation, and Benefits **Location.** Remote-first within the United States. Occasional travel to Austin, TX (quarterly team meets) and to program offices as contracts require. For roles on active defense contracts, U.S. citizenship is required. **Compensation.** See each job description for the specific range. We publish ranges; we do not play the "what's your expectation" game. **Benefits** (for full-time W-2 employees): - Health insurance stipend (QSEHRA, tax-advantaged) from day one of employment. - Ten paid time-off days per year plus six federal holidays. Take them. We actually mean that. - Equipment budget — you pick your Mac, keyboard, display. We pay. - Annual learning budget — books, courses, conferences. We pay. - Retirement plan to be added in Year 2 as the team grows (SEP-IRA or SIMPLE). **What we do not yet offer.** Group health insurance (stipend model instead), 401(k) matching, stock options — these come as the firm scales past five people. We will not pretend otherwise in recruiting. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions **Do you sponsor visas?** Not at this time. You must be authorized to work in the United States at hire. For roles on controlled research, you must qualify as a U.S. person. **Do you sponsor security clearances?** Yes, for roles that require one, on a case-by-case basis. We will tell you up front whether a role is clearable, eligible, or clearance-required before asking you to invest time. **Are you fully remote?** Yes, within the United States. Quarterly in-person in Austin. Some program reviews and customer sites may require short travel (roughly 10% of the year for most roles). **Do I need a degree?** For engineering roles, we require a B.S. in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Math, EE, or equivalent — *or* demonstrable equivalent experience (typically seven-plus years shipping production software). We have hired soldiers out of 25-series and Signal backgrounds who outperform many graduate-degree candidates. Show the work. **Prior military experience — required?** Never required. Genuinely valued. Our founder is retired Army and speaks the language, so you will not have to translate. If you have never served, you are equally welcome — the shared expectation is intellectual honesty and operational discipline, not a DD-214. **What is the interview process?** Screening call (30 minutes) → technical conversation or take-home (depending on role) → final conversation with the principal → offer. Total: three to five weeks. We move faster when we can. **What if I want to apply but you do not have an open role for me?** Send us a one-pager anyway with subject line `[Speculative] – Last Name, First Name`. If you are exceptional and the fit is clear, we will find a seat. If we cannot today, we will keep you in file for twelve months. --- ## Applicant Privacy Herding Cats Research collects the personal information you send us — name, contact information, resume content, work history, authorization to work, and any voluntary demographic data — solely to evaluate your application and communicate with you. We do not sell or share this information. We retain applications for twelve months, then securely delete them. To request earlier deletion, email `[email protected]` with subject line `[Data Deletion Request]`. **California applicants:** You have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know, delete, and correct your personal information. Full notice available by request at `[email protected]`. --- ## Equal Opportunity & Accessibility Herding Cats Research LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or Texas law. This commitment applies across recruitment, hiring, compensation, placement, training, promotion, and termination. **Accommodation requests:** If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, email `[email protected]` with subject `[Accommodation Request]`. **Veterans:** HCR is a USERRA-compliant employer and actively welcomes applications from veterans, transitioning service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses. --- ## Contact **Applications:** `[email protected]` **General inquiries:** `[email protected]` **Principal:** Edgar "Jeep" Marshall, LTC, U.S. Army (Ret.) **Mailing:** Austin, Texas (U.S. correspondence address) --- *Last updated: 2026-04-19. Herding Cats Research LLC is a Texas limited liability company formed March 31, 2026. SDVOSB certification pending.*