Senior UAV Airframe Design Engineer - Lead Lightweight Structures

Firestorm; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) retirement plan

Equity grants

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

Job summary

Firestorm, based in San Diego, is seeking a Senior Staff Airframe Design Engineer to drive the design and build of critical UAV airframes. You’ll own the hardware lifecycle for airframes, directing design, analysis, manufacturing oversight, and validation to meet demanding performance, cost, and manufacturability targets.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years of aerospace mechanical design experience, proficiency in SolidWorks and GD&T, and a track record of delivering high‑performance,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering required.
• 7+ years mechanical design experience with aircraft design.
• Proven ability to move complex assemblies from concept to production.
• Experience with DFM and manufacturability in aerospace hardware.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design of UAV airframe subsystems across the lifecycle.
• Create manufacturable airframe designs optimized for performance and cost.
• Perform structural analysis and validate designs against targets.
• Develop 3D CAD models and detailed drawings with SolidWorks and GD&T.
• Oversee testing, analyze results, and document test reports.
• Collaborate with electrical, manufacturing, and flight-test teams to integrate systems.

Skills

Mechanical design

Aircraft design

DFM

GD&T

Structural analysis

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

CAD modeling

First-order analysis

GD&T principles

Job description

Firestorm, based in San Diego, is seeking a Senior Staff Airframe Design Engineer to drive the design and build of critical UAV airframes. You’ll own the hardware lifecycle for airframes, directing design, analysis, manufacturing oversight, and validation to meet demanding performance, cost, and manufacturability targets.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years of aerospace mechanical design experience, proficiency in SolidWorks and GD&T, and a track record of delivering high‑performance,