Mission Success Advisor

Firestorm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical plan

401(k)

Equity grants

Unlimited PTO

Holiday calendar

Parental Leave

Lifestyle Spending Account

FSA/HSA

Life insurance

Mental health resources

Job summary

Firestorm is seeking a Mission Success Advisor to serve as the senior representative and primary operational liaison to defense and government customers. You will lead customer success, coordinate deployment and sustainment, and advise leadership on mission readiness and operational effectiveness.

You will work across engineering, product, manufacturing, logistics, and executive teams, exercising independent judgment to prioritize resources, assess risks, and deliver solutions that improve

Qualifications

• Associates degree or Trade School Certificate in Engineering or equivalent discipline. In lieu of degree/certificate a High School diploma/GED or military service with 8+ years of relevant experience.
• U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations & the ability to maintain a Department of Defense (DoD) security clearance
• Active Secret clearance at hire required.
• 3+ years field service experience on industrial, additive manufacturing, or military hardware platforms.
• HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) certification, required to obtain within first 90 days post-hire.
• Current U.S. passport at hire.

Responsibilities

• Lead customer success efforts, coordinate deployment and sustainment activities, identify operational risks, and advise both customers and Firestorm leadership.
• Act as trusted advisor between customer leadership, operators, maintainers, and Firestorm teams to align on mission readiness and business outcomes.
• Lead cross-functional coordination across engineering, logistics, manufacturing, training, and customer support to resolve issues.

Skills

Field service experience

Education

Associate degree or trade school

Job description

Firestorm is hiring a Mission Success Advisor who will serve as Firestorm's senior representative and primary operational liaison to assigned defense and government customers. You are accountable for customer success, operational readiness, deployment planning, sustainment strategy, and customer relationship management throughout the lifecycle of Firestorm systems.

You will act as the trusted advisor between customer leadership, operators, maintainers, and Firestorm's engineering, product, manufacturing, logistics, and executive leadership teams. You will also exercise independent judgment in evaluating customer requirements, assessing operational risks, prioritizing support activities, recommending resource allocations, and developing solutions that directly impact customer satisfaction, mission effectiveness, and business outcomes.

While you may perform technical field support activities when operationally required, the primary purpose of the position is to lead customer success efforts, coordinate deployment and sustainment activities, identify operational risks, and advise both customers and Firestorm leadership regarding mission readiness and operational effectiveness.

The primary duty of the Mission Success Advisor is customer success leadership, operational readiness planning, deployment coordination, sustainment strategy, customer relationship management, and advisory support to both customers and Firestorm leadership. The incumbent is expected to spend a majority of working time performing these duties and exercising independent judgment regarding matters of significance affecting customer outcomes, operational effectiveness, mission readiness, and business objectives. You will be expected to spend more than 50% of working time performing customer advisory, operational planning, deployment coordination, readiness assessment, customer relationship management, and other exempt duties.

What You’ll Do

Customer Success Leadership

• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for assigned customer accounts.
• Own assigned customer accounts and serve as the accountable Mission Success lead for customer satisfaction, operational readiness, and sustainment outcomes.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with customer leadership, operators, maintainers, and acquisition personnel.
• Identify customer concerns, operational challenges, and emerging requirements and develop recommendations for resolution.

Decision-Making Authority

• The Mission Success Advisor is expected to exercise independent judgment and discretion regarding customer support prioritization, deployment support recommendations, operational risk assessment, sustainment planning, customer engagement strategies, escalation pathways, and resource utilization recommendations.
• The position regularly evaluates multiple courses of action and develops recommendations affecting customer outcomes, operational effectiveness, mission readiness, and business performance.

Operational Readiness and Deployment Planning

• Recommend deployment strategies, training priorities, and sustainment plans.
• Coordinate deployment resources and support activities across multiple functional teams.

Sustainment and Mission Support Strategy

• Recommend corrective actions and long-term sustainment improvements.
• Develop customer-specific support recommendations and operational roadmaps.
• Contribute to sustainment planning and lifecycle support initiatives.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate activities among engineering, logistics, manufacturing, training, and customer support functions.
• Lead resolution efforts for customer-impacting issues requiring cross-functional collaboration.
• Prioritize support requests and determine appropriate escalation pathways.
• Facilitate communication between customer stakeholders and Firestorm decision-makers.

Voice of Customer and Continuous Improvement

• Lead Voice of Customer collection and analysis efforts.
• Translate operational feedback into actionable recommendations.
• Advise product and engineering teams regarding customer priorities and field observations.
• Recommend enhancements to training programs, support processes, sustainment practices, and field procedures.

Strategic Field Representation

• Represent Firestorm during deployments, exercises, demonstrations, testing events, and operational engagements.
• Serve as Firestorm's senior operational representative in customer-facing situations.

Limited Technical & Deployment Support

• In support of customer success objectives and mission readiness requirements, the Mission Success Advisor may periodically assist Field Service Representatives with deployment activities, customer support efforts, operator training, troubleshooting support, and sustainment activities.
• The Mission Success Advisor may provide technical guidance, participate in customer demonstrations, support operational testing events, and assist with issue resolution during customer deployments.
• Technical repairs, routine maintenance, equipment installation, inventory management, and primary execution of field service activities are ordinarily performed by Field Service Representatives or technical specialists.
• Technical support activities performed by the Mission Success Advisor are intended to support customer success, operational readiness, and deployment objectives and are not expected to constitute the majority of the position's duties.

Required qualifications

• Associates degree or Trade School Certificate in Engineering or equivalent discipline. In lieu of degree/certificate a High School diploma/GED or military service with 8+ years of relevant experience
• U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations & the ability to maintain a Department of Defense (DoD) security clearance
• Active Secret clearance at hire required.
• 3+ years field service experience on industrial, additive manufacturing, or military hardware platforms.
• HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) certification, required to obtain within first 90 days post-hire.
• Current U.S. passport at hire.

Preferred qualifications

• Prior U.S. military service with a maintenance MOS or equivalent; SOCOM-component or aviation-maintenance background preferred.
• Top Secret eligibility.
• Prior employment at additive manufacturing OEM or defense-industry field service organization.
• Familiarity with ITAR shipping documentation and HAZMAT protocols.

About Firestorm

Firestorm is a California-headquartered defense-tech company building expeditionary advanced manufacturing systems (xCell), Group 1-3 modular Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (Tempest), and Group 1 quadcopter Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (Squall, produced via the xCell manufacturing platform). We are 150 employees, Series B, and growing the Mission Success function from the ground up to deliver white-glove fielding, sustainment, and customer success for the operators who decide vendor credibility in the first 72 hours of operational use. Our Mission Success function is Warfighter First, Led by Warfighters — the team that fields the system is the team that fielded systems like it.

Work Environment

• Position is based in San Diego, CA Firestorm Headquarters
• We welcome candidates who are local or open to relocating; relocation assistance is available and may be included in the offer package where appropriate.
• Willingness and ability to travel 40–60% of the time; primarily INDOPACOM- and CENTCOM-region deployments; CONUS/OCONUS as required

Compensation

• Base salary: $85,000 - $110,000 base, commensurate with experience
• Equity: Meaningful equity grant in a growth-stage defense technology company

The posted salary range reflects an estimate based on a variety of compensation factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, education, certifications, specialized skills, geographic location, and business needs. Actual compensation may vary, and this range is subject to change as our compensation structure or market conditions evolve.

Benefits & Perks

Our culture fosters collaboration, respect, and trust, empowering passionate people to do their best work. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth. In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:

• We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals
• Equity grants for new hires
• Unlimited PTO
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including holiday hiatuses in July & December.
• Generous Parental Leave
• Lifestyle Spending Account
• FSA
• DCFSA
• HSA
• Hospital Indemnity insurance
• Critical Illness insurance
• Accident insurance
• Basic Life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance, 100% covered by Firestorm. Plus, the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your family.
• Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more. Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, are available to you as well.

Export Control Compliance

To conform to U.S. government export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Firestorm is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, and upholding equitable hiring practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic under federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. We actively encourage members of recognized minorities, women, Veterans, and those with disabilities to apply, and we work to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all applicants throughout the interview process.

Firestorm is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require accommodations or assistance during the application process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [e-mail] so we can provide the support you need.