SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Salary: USD 210,000 - 240,000 / annual
Firestorm is building expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems, including modular unmanned aircraft and deployable microfactories designed for rapid deployment and adaptability in the field.
You will serve as Chief Engineer and technical lead for a UAS (unmanned aerial systems) development program, with authority over the vehicle's hardware and software architecture. This is a high-impact role where you own end-to-end technical accountability for a defense system from architecture through flight test.
Key Responsibilities:
- Own the program's hardware and software architecture, defining system interfaces and making final calls on architectural trade-offs across mechanical, electrical, firmware, and software domains.
- Serve as the single point of technical accountability, resolving disagreements between mechanical, electrical, firmware, and software leads and ensuring the vehicle's design is technically sound end-to-end.
- Own program verification and validation: define the test and evaluation (T&E) strategy spanning component/subsystem test, integration test, and flight test; approve test plans; review results; and make go/no-go decisions on phase progression.
- Drive design reviews, chairing PDR/CDR-style reviews, red-teaming the architecture, and maintaining the technical risk register.
- Interface with the Program Manager as a technical peer, aligning architecture and test schedules with cost/schedule constraints, escalating trade-offs, and providing honest technical readiness assessments at each gate.
- Maintain configuration control over the architecture, ensuring changes are deliberate, documented, and traceable.
- Represent the program's technical maturity externally, supporting customer technical interchange meetings and government airworthiness/safety reviews.
This role requires fluency across the hardware/software boundary, the ability to make credible architectural trade-offs, and demonstrated experience leading complex, safety-critical systems from concept through flight test. You will work in a fast-paced environment with up to 25% domestic travel for field operations, integration events, and testing.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 15+ years of engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or comparably safety- and performance-critical hardware domains, including direct ownership of a system architecture spanning both hardware and software/firmware.
- Previous experience over test and evaluation, including defining test strategy, approving test plans, and making go/no-go calls based on test evidence.
- Demonstrated ability to ingest dynamic and complex information and decisively act to push the program forward.
- Fluency across the hardware/software boundary: able to make credible architectural trade-offs between mechanical/electrical design and firmware/software/autonomy design.
- Working knowledge of flight test methodology and structured T&E practices (test matrices, success criteria, anomaly/root-cause process).
- Strong written and verbal communication.
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred).
- U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
- 12+ years of experience in aerospace development, with at least 3 years in a Project Engineer or equivalent technical program execution role.
- Experience in aircraft architecture, airframe development, or aircraft software development.
- Experience with flight controls, communications, or payload integration highly desirable.
- Demonstrated experience building or substantially improving an engineering process (e.g., design review structure, configuration management, verification planning).
- Ability to work in fast-paced, evolving environments with rapid development cycles.
- Deep understanding of first-order principles, demonstrated by hand calculations of statics and mechanics.
- Proficiency in systems engineering and technical program execution methodologies.
- Familiarity with CAD and simulation tools (e.g., SolidWorks, MATLAB/Simulink).
- Strong organizational, problem-solving, and cross-functional communication skills.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience with UAS, missiles, or other expendable/attritable aerospace systems.
- Prior experience as a chief engineer, DER, or technical lead on a single named program from architecture through flight test.
- Experience standing up a T&E program from scratch on a new vehicle.
- Experience with low-cost, high-rate manufacturing philosophies.
- Experience with payload and autonomy integrations.
- 5+ years in unmanned aerial systems or autonomous platforms.
- Prior experience mentoring or informally leading engineers, even without a formal management title.
- Private pilot, home-build aircraft, or RC build aircraft experience.
- Understanding of autonomy, AI/ML integration, or edge computing for UAS.
- Familiarity with DoD, NASA, or commercial UAS programs.
- Knowledge of UAS regulatory frameworks (FAA Part 107 or COA) and airworthiness requirements.
