Senior Systems Engineer, Metal Manufacturing

Firestorm is looking for a Senior Systems Engineer, Metal Manufacturing who will be part of a team that will build new variants of a fielded platform — including a metal manufacturing capability that doesn't exist anywhere else in this form — and we need an engineer who wants to own hard problems from first principles through production (this is not a maintenance role).

You have a senior engineering background with deep hands‑on experience in metal additive and subtractive manufacturing, and you've taken complex hardware from concept to fielded product.

You'll work as a senior individual contributor with real autonomy, but you also understand the value of input from your teammates. You'll shape how we approach metal manufacturing engineering challenges at a company that is still early enough for your fingerprints to matter. If you want to spend your time in a large program office working minutiae and moving Power Points, this isn't the right place.

If you want to build things that matter, that have near‑term impact, and work with a tight team that acts with both urgency and rigor — we should talk.

• Metal manufacturing development — guide the engineering effort to define, develop, prototype, and product ionize xCell's metal manufacturing capability; drive the process from trade studies through fielded solution
• Process definition — establish the manufacturing processes, parameters, and quality criteria that will govern metal part production in a deployed environment; you know what good looks like and can define it for others
• New product development — define the problem, run trade studies, establish constraints, iterate design, prototype, and drive to production across metal manufacturing variants
• Systems‑level thinking — xCell is an integrated system and the metal manufacturing capability has to work within it; you see the whole picture across mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and software interfaces
• Post‑processing and finishing — own the full part journey from raw feedstock through final part, including CNC machining, finishing operations, and inspection; you understand that additive is only part of the story
• Sustaining engineering — when something breaks in the field or fails to deliver as advertised, you help drive solutions with the xCell engineering team
• Technical leadership — you'll be a senior anchor on a talented, growing team; you elevate the engineers around you without being asked to

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering or related field. In lieu of a degree 10+ years of progressive relative experience in the engineering field.
• U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations, with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
• 7+ years of hands‑on hardware development experience — concept through production, not just analysis.
• Deep experience in metal additive manufacturing — strong powder‑bed fusion background considered if other attributes are compelling.
• Hands‑on CNC machining experience — you understand the subtractive side of the equation and how it integrates with additive processes to get to a final part.
• Systems engineering mindset — you can hold requirements, tradeoffs, and interfaces in your head simultaneously.
• Proficiency with CAD (Solid Works preferred) and PLM tools.

• Experience with directed energy deposition (DED), wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), or cold spray experience.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, naval, medical, or automotive applications — we care more about the depth of your metal manufacturing experience than the sector it came from.
• High ownership mentality — you close loops, you don't wait to be told, and you hold yourself and others to a…