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Firestorm is building expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems, focusing on mission-adaptable aerial systems and deployable microfactories. The company addresses a critical gap: defense systems that are too expensive, slow to produce, and difficult to sustain at scale.
As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, you will lead mechanical design and structural analysis efforts for next-generation UAV systems. You'll be responsible for designing, analyzing, and building critical flight structures and mechanisms that meet stringent technical, schedule, and performance requirements.
Key responsibilities include:
- Support mechanical design and structural analysis across the entire UAV product lifecycle (concept through field support)
- Develop innovative, mass-optimized mechanical designs for flight performance under varying operational conditions
- Create and maintain high-quality 3D CAD models and detailed engineering drawings using SolidWorks, emphasizing GD&T principles
- Validate designs using hand calculations, finite element analysis (FEA), and physical testing
- Drive rapid iterative design cycles, supporting prototyping and design reviews
- Collaborate cross-functionally with electrical, flight-test, and manufacturing teams to integrate complex mechanical and electromechanical systems
- Support hands-on prototyping in the shop environment, troubleshooting and implementing corrective actions
- Contribute to Design for Manufacturability (DFM) efforts, working with internal and external teams on additive manufacturing, CNC machining, sheet metal, injection molding, and composite processes
- Develop company-wide engineering best practices, CAD standards, and documentation protocols
- Write detailed build documentation and collaborate during hardware integration and assembly
Required qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering; 5+ years of mechanical design experience in aircraft design; minimum 1 year of hands-on structural analysis; strong foundation in structures, fluid systems, thermal management, and mechanisms; proven DFM experience; proficiency in structural analysis tools and first-order hand calculations.
