Senior UAV Airframe Design Engineer

Firestorm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 153,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k) with company match

Equity grants

Unlimited PTO

Holiday calendar including Nov/Dec

Parental Leave

Life insurance

Mental health resources

Flexible work environment

Job summary

Firestorm is seeking a Principal Airframe Design Engineer in San Diego to lead the mechanical design of UAV airframes across the full product lifecycle. You will own the hardware lifecycle of the airframe and collaborate with electrical, manufacturing, and flight-test teams to deliver high-performance, mass-optimized structures.

You will apply first-order hand calculations and SolidWorks proficiency to drive innovative, manufacturable solutions while mentoring engineers and contributing to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering.
• 10+ years of mechanical design experience with aircraft design.
• Proven track record of taking complex mechanical assemblies from concept to production.
• Strong foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals; structures, fluid systems, thermal management, and mechanisms.
• Hands-on design engineering experience with DFM principles.
• Demonstrated ability to perform structural modeling and hand calculations.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks with surfacing, top-down design, and GD&T knowledge.
• Experience integrating mechanical designs with electrical systems (PCBAs, wiring harnesses).
• US citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a US Government security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design efforts for UAV subsystems across the product lifecycle, from concept to production.
• Develop manufacturable airframe designs optimized for UAV performance under varying conditions.
• Analyze mass properties and strength/stiffness targets of aerostructure designs.
• Create and maintain high-quality 3D CAD models and manufacturing drawings with GD&T.
• Lead structural design of airframe primary and secondary structures through production.
• Develop structural solutions to optimize weight, cost, and performance.
• Develop structural requirements, test plans (DVP&R), and verification activities.
• Lead and oversee structural testing, analyze test data, generate reports.
• Resolve complex structural issues with robust design solutions.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to engineering standards.

Skills

Mechanical design

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Adaptability

Education

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

B.S. in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

First-order structural analysis

GD&T

3D CAD

DFM (design for manufacturability)

Job description

Firestorm is seeking a Principal Airframe Design Engineer in San Diego to lead the mechanical design of UAV airframes across the full product lifecycle. You will own the hardware lifecycle of the airframe and collaborate with electrical, manufacturing, and flight-test teams to deliver high-performance, mass-optimized structures.

You will apply first-order hand calculations and SolidWorks proficiency to drive innovative, manufacturable solutions while mentoring engineers and contributing to