Aerospace Engineer - Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization

Who We Are

At Firestorm, we are building the future of expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems. Modern conflict has exposed a fundamental problem: the systems needed most by operators are often too expensive, too slow to produce, and too difficult to sustain estorm exists to change that.

We develop mission-adaptable aerial systems and deployable manufacturing infrastructure designed to put capability directly into the hands of the warfighter. From modular unmanned aircraft to xCell — our deployable microfactory — our goal is to make defense systems rapidly deployable, adaptable, and producible at the point of need.

We are looking for builders, operators, and problem-solvers who want to work on meaningful technology with real-world impact.

Firestorm Labs is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Aerospace Engineer to lead the development of our in‑house Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization (MDAO) tool. This tool will sit at the heart of how Firestorm designs its next generation of mission‑adaptable unmanned aerial systems, coupling aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, mass properties, stability & control, performance, and cost models into a unified, automated design environment.

You will architect the framework, build and integrate the discipline models, and put the tool to work running the trade studies and design optimizations that shape our vehicles. This position requires a deep foundation in aircraft conceptual and preliminary design, coupled with strong software development skills and practical experience building or working within MDAO environments.

• Architect, develop, and maintain Firestorm’s MDAO framework (e.g., built on OpenMDAO or a comparable environment), including the underlying data structures, solver strategies, and workflow orchestration.
• Develop and integrate discipline analysis modules — aerodynamics (vortex‑lattice, panel, and CFD‑based), propulsion performance decks, structures and mass properties, stability & control, and mission/performance analysis.
• Build parametric geometry pipelines (e.g., OpenVSP or CAD‑integrated) that enable rapid exploration of unconventional UAS configurations.
• Implement and apply optimization methods including gradient‑based and gradient‑free optimization, design of experiments, and surrogate modeling.
• Validate tool outputs against wind tunnel, flight test, and higher‑fidelity analysis data, and quantify model uncertainty.
• Execute vehicle‑level trade studies and sizing analyses to support new product development and customer‑driven configuration changes.
• Work cross‑functionally with airframe, propulsion, manufacturing, and autonomy teams to ensure the tool reflects real‑world design constraints, including additive manufacturing considerations.
• Establish best practices for version control, testing, documentation, and continuous integration of engineering software.

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related field with 3+ years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 1+ years.
• Strong foundation in aircraft conceptual/preliminary design, aerodynamics, flight performance, and stability & control.
• Proficiency in Python and experience developing engineering analysis software beyond one‑off scripts.
• Hands‑on experience with an MDAO framework (e.g., OpenMDAO, Model Center, Dakota, SUAVE) or demonstrated experience building multidisciplinary analysis pipelines.
• Experience with numerical optimization methods and design space exploration.
• Ability to operate in fast‑paced, iterative development environments.
• U.S. Person status (Citizen or Permanent Resident) required due to ITAR regulations.

• Master’s or PhD in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on MDAO, aircraft design, or applied optimization.
• Experience with tools such as OpenVSP, AVL, XFOIL, SU2, Fluent, STAR‑CCM+, or NASTRAN.
• Experience with surrogate modeling, uncertainty quantification, or gradient‑based optimization with analytic derivatives.
• Prior experience designing small UAS, especially Group 2–3 unmanned aircraft.
• Familiarity with design for additive manufacturing.
• Experience with…