Senior UAS Project Engineer – Systems & Production

Firestorm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Equity grants

Unlimited PTO

Parental Leave

Life insurance

Job summary

Firestorm in San Diego, CA seeks a Staff Project Engineer, UAS Development to lead the technical development of unmanned aerial systems through the full product lifecycle, from concept to production readiness, with strong systems engineering and agile practices.

You will build repeatable processes, coordinate across aero, mechanical, electrical, autonomy, software, flight test and payload integration, ensure airworthiness and compliance, and mentor teams in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 12+ years in aerospace development; at least 3 years in a Project Engineer or program role.
• Experience with aircraft architecture, airframe or aircraft software development.
• Experience building or improving engineering processes and design reviews.
• Strong systems engineering and cross-functional communication skills.
• Familiarity with CAD and simulation tools (SolidWorks, MATLAB/Simulink).

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate technical development of unmanned aerial systems across the product lifecycle.
• Manage program reviews from concept to production readiness and ensure alignment with timelines and budgets.
• Coordinate across aero-performance, mechanical, electrical, autonomy, software, flight testing, and payload teams.
• Translate system specs into requirements and manage system-level interfaces.
• Develop and apply repeatable processes, templates, and criteria for design and program reviews.
• Establish configuration management and interface control practices scalable to multiple programs.
• Support test planning and data analysis; ensure airworthiness and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Systems engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical program execution

Statics/hand calculations

Flight controls integration

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor's in AE/ME/EE

Master's preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Firestorm in San Diego, CA seeks a Staff Project Engineer, UAS Development to lead the technical development of unmanned aerial systems through the full product lifecycle, from concept to production readiness, with strong systems engineering and agile practices.

You will build repeatable processes, coordinate across aero, mechanical, electrical, autonomy, software, flight test and payload integration, ensure airworthiness and compliance, and mentor teams in a fast-paced environment.