Associate Mechanical Test Technician

Location:

San Diego, CA
Category:
Mechanical Engineering
Work Environment:
In office
Employment:
Full-time

As an Associate Mechanical Test Technician at Firestorm, you will work alongside our engineers and senior technicians to build, test, and field the unmanned aircraft we deliver to the warfighter. This is a hands‑on, shop‑floor role. You will assemble airframes, build support equipment, set up test articles, and prepare aircraft for flight — on real hardware, on real programs, on short timelines.

This is an entry-level position and we will train you. What we need from you is mechanical aptitude, care and precision with your hands, and the discipline to follow a procedure exactly and speak up the moment something does not look right. If you come from a trade or technical school, a military aviation maintenance background, a race shop, a fabrication shop, or any environment where you have built and repaired real hardware, we want to talk to you.

You will work under the direction of senior technicians and mechanical engineers who will check your work, teach you the standards, and grow your skill set. The aircraft you help build will fly, and you will be there when they do.

• Assemble airframe structures, subassemblies, and integration hardware from released drawings and written work instructions.
• Install mechanical hardware to specification — fasteners, inserts, bushings, brackets, and mounts — and torque to spec with values recorded.
• Support composite work including surface preparation, trimming, bonding, and layup.
• Support propulsion and fuel system installation, including plumbing, fittings, and leak checks.
• Operate shop equipment safely: bandsaw, drill press, sheet metal tooling, and hand and power tools.
• Run 3D printers and perform post‑processing on printed parts.
• Kit parts against bills of material and stage build kits for aircraft and test articles.
• Record as‑built configuration, serialized part numbers, torque values, and build notes accurately and legibly.
• Flag any part, fit, or instruction that does not match the drawing — escalte rather than improvise.

• Assemble test fixtures and prepare test articles per engineering direction.
• Install instrumentation — strain gauges, accelerometers, thermocouples, load cells, and displacement sensors — per a provided channel list.
• Support execution of static load, drop, vibration, thermal, and environmental test events.
• Capture photographs, video, and written observations during test; label and hand off data files and test records.
• Follow all test safety requirements: stored‑energy control, lockout/tagout, PPE, and rigging and lifting procedures.

• Prepare aircraft for flight: preflight and postflight inspection, control surface checks, and weight and center‑of‑gravity measurement.
• Set up and tear down ground support equipment, ground control stations, antennas, and field tooling.
• Stage spares, consumables, tooling, and loadout ahead of test events.
• Support turnaround between sorties, post‑flight teardown, log download, and damage inspection.
• Serve as visual observer or launch and recovery crew at test events.

• Maintain tool control, FOD discipline, and organization in build and test areas.
• Keep consumables stocked and flag shortages before they stop a build.
• Support receiving inspection and stockroom accuracy.
• Perform routine maintenance on 3D printers, test stands, and shop equipment.

• High school diploma, GED or equivalent education
• 'U.S. Person' as defined in 22 CFR § 120.62 required due to ITAR regulations, which includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (Green…