Senior Staff Airframe Design Engineer

Overview

Senior Staff Airframe Design Engineer — San Diego, CA
• Engineering
• In office
• Full-time

Firestorm is building the future of expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems. We develop mission-adaptable aerial systems and deployable manufacturing infrastructure to put capability directly into the hands of the warfighter. We are looking for builders, operators, and problem-solvers who want to work on meaningful technology with real-world impact.

Firestorm is seeking a highly skilled Senior Staff Airframe Design Engineer to join our engineering team in developing next-generation UAV systems. You will be responsible for the design and build efforts of critical flight structures and mechanisms within our product line, owning the hardware product lifecycle of the airframe, and overseeing the design, analysis, manufacturing, and validation of primary structure. You will develop mechanical components and subsystems that satisfy performance, manufacturability, and cost criteria, collaborating cross-functionally with electrical, manufacturing, and flight-test teams to ensure seamless integration of mechanical and electromechanical systems.

You should be self-motivated, adaptable, and capable of leading your own projects to completion in a fast-paced environment. Significant structural airframe design experience and a proven track record delivering collaborative projects are preferred.

A successful candidate will have experience delivering high-performance, mass-optimized hardware in rapid development environments with a strong foundation in aircraft mechanical design. Proficiency in 3D CAD and first-order hand calculations will be key to driving innovative solutions for our UAV platform. As an individual contributor, you will influence the technical direction of designs and help shape engineering best practices across projects, participating in all phases of the development lifecycle from concept and prototyping through testing and production in a fast-moving, high-impact setting.

• Lead mechanical design efforts for key UAV subsystems across the entire product lifecycle: concept, prototyping, testing, production, and field support.
• Develop manufacturable airframe designs optimized for flight performance under varying conditions, ensuring structural, dynamic, thermal, and functional requirements are met through rigorous analysis and validation.
• Analyze initial aerostructure designs against mass properties targets and strength/stiffness requirements.
• Create and maintain high-quality 3D CAD models, detailed drawings, and manufacturing documentation using Solid Works, emphasizing GD&T for precision and manufacturability.
• Lead the structural mechanical design of aircraft primary and secondary structures from concept through production.
• Develop and champion innovative structural solutions to optimize weight, cost, and performance.
• Develop structural requirements, specifications, and test plans (DVP&R).
• Review static and dynamic load inputs, material properties, and test results.
• Lead and oversee structural testing, analyze test data, and generate detailed test reports.
• Investigate and resolve complex structural issues arising during development and provide robust design solutions.
• Drive high-cadence iterative design and analysis cycles, supporting rapid prototyping and cross-functional design reviews to incorporate test feedback promptly.
• Collaborate with electrical engineers, flight-test engineers, and manufacturing teams to integrate complex mechanical and electromechanical systems including servos, pumps, sensors, cameras, PCBAs, wiring harnesses, and connectors.
• Own technical reviews and contribute to design and analysis decisions, ensuring robust engineering practices and adherence to program requirements.
• Support rapid prototyping with hands-on experience building functional prototypes in a shop environment, iterating designs based on test data.
• Troubleshoot mechanical and electromechanical issues through root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
• Contribute to configuration management and documentation control, maintaining versioning of CAD files,…