Chief Engineer

FireStorm Labs; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Firestorm Labs seeks a Chief Engineer to serve as the technical lead for a UAS development program. You will own the vehicle’s hardware and software architecture, interfacing with the PM and leads to ensure objectives are met with managed risk.

You’ll provide end-to-end technical oversight, chair PDR/CDR-style reviews, define T&E strategies, and maintain architecture traceability. Strong communication and cross-functional coordination are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 12+ years in aerospace development with architectural ownership.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain/maintain clearance.
• 3+ years in project engineering or equivalent technical leadership.

Responsibilities

• Own hardware and software architecture for the UAS program.
• Provide technical oversight and resolve cross-disciplinary disagreements.
• Define test and evaluation strategy; approve plans and go/no-go decisions.
• Run design reviews (PDR/CDR) and manage architecture risk.
• Interface with Program Manager; align with cost/schedule constraints.
• Maintain configuration control and document technical debt.
• Represent technical maturity in customer meetings and reviews.

Skills

System architecture

Aerospace engineering

Test & evaluation

Hardware-software boundary

UAS/missile experience

Flight test knowledge

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Who We Are At Firestorm, we are building the future of expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems. Modern conflict has exposed a fundamental problem: the systems needed most by operators are often too expensive, too slow to produce, and too difficult to sustain at scale. Firestorm exists to change that. We develop mission-adaptable aerial systems and deployable manufacturing infrastructure designed to put capability directly into the hands of the warfighter. From modular unmanned aircraft to xCell -- our deployable microfactory -- our goal is to make defense systems rapidly deployable, adaptable, and producible at the point of need. We are looking for builders, operators, and problem-solvers who want to work on meaningful technology with real-world impact.

About the Role

Firestorm Labs is looking for a Chief Engineer to serve as the technical lead for a UAS development program. The core of this role is authority over the vehicle's hardware and software architecture. Working closely with the program manager and technical leads, you’ll ensure the vehicle meets program objectives with appropriate technical risk.

What You'll Do

• Own the program's hardware and software architecture. Define the system architecture and how it interfaces with common platform architectures. You’ll make the final call on architectural trade-offs across hardware and software and ensure the platform maintains software and payload modularity.
• Technical oversight for the program. You’ll serve as the one person accountable for whether the vehicle’s design is technically sound end-to-end, resolving disagreements between mechanical, electrical, firmware, and software leads assigned to this program.
• Own program verification & validation. Define the T&E strategy for the program, spanning component/subsystem test, integration test, and flight test. Approve test plans, review results, and make the go/no-go call on whether evidence supports proceeding to the next phase.
• Drive design reviews. Chair PDR/CDR-style reviews for this program, red-team the architecture before it’s locked, and maintain the technical risk register for this specific vehicle.
• Interface with the Program Manager as a technical peer. Align architecture and test schedule with program cost/schedule constraints, elevate trade-offs that affect program commitments, and give the PM an honest technical readiness assessment at each gate.
• Maintain configuration control over the architecture. Ensure changes to the hardware/software architecture are deliberate, documented, and traceable and technical debt is recorded and resolved.
• Represent the program’s technical maturity externally. Support customer technical interchange meetings and government airworthiness/safety reviews specific to this program, speaking authoritatively to architecture and test evidence.

What You’ll Need

• 15+ years of engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or a comparably safety- and performance-critical hardware domain, 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, not just one side of it.
• Experience with UAS, missiles, or other expendable/attritable aerospace systems strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of flight test methodology and structured T&E practices (test matrices, success criteria, anomaly/root-cause process).
• Strong written and verbal communication.

Nice to Have

• 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, rather than inheriting an established one.
• Experience with low-cost, high-rate manufacturing philosophies.
• Experience with payload and autonomy integrations.

What Success Looks Like

• The program’s architecture is coherent across hardware and software, with trade‑offs made deliberately rather than by default. Clear connectivity to common platform architectures.
• Test and evaluation produces evidence and drives technical decisions.
• Clear communication through leadership and across functions for upcoming milestones and needs.

Required Qualifications:

• 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