Chief UAS Systems Architect & Flight Test Lead

Socket.dev; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 210,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical plans

401(k) with company match

Equity grants

Generous PTO

Job summary

Firestorm Labs in San Diego, CA seeks a Chief Engineer to lead a UAS development program, owning hardware/software architecture and ensuring modular, scalable design. You will set the TE strategy, resolve cross-functional trade-offs, and drive design reviews while interfacing with the PM to align with schedule and cost constraints.

The role requires 15+ years in aerospace or related safety-critical domains, deep system engineering expertise, and strong communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical or related field; Master’s preferred.
• U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain security clearance.
• 12+ years in aerospace development with program execution experience.
• Experience with aircraft architecture, airframe or aircraft software development.
• Proven ability to improve engineering processes and drive fast-paced environments.
• Hands-on work across hardware, firmware, and software with telemetry and test data.

Responsibilities

• Own the program’s hardware and software architecture and define interfaces.
• Provide technical oversight and resolve cross-disciplinary design disputes.
• Define and lead the test and evaluation strategy and go/no-go decisions.
• Chair design reviews and maintain the technical risk register.
• Coordinate with Program Manager on architecture, cost, and schedule trade-offs.
• Maintain configuration control and document architectural changes.
• Represent technical maturity in customer meetings and safety reviews.

Skills

System architecture

Hardware-software balance

Test strategy

Flight test knowledge

Technical leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

UAS/aerospace domain

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Master’s preferred

Tools

CAD (SolidWorks)

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Firestorm Labs in San Diego, CA seeks a Chief Engineer to lead a UAS development program, owning hardware/software architecture and ensuring modular, scalable design. You will set the TE strategy, resolve cross-functional trade-offs, and drive design reviews while interfacing with the PM to align with schedule and cost constraints.

The role requires 15+ years in aerospace or related safety-critical domains, deep system engineering expertise, and strong communication.