Firestorm Labs
Senior Staff Airframe Design Engineer
$145K–$175K
San Diego, United States · On-site · Senior Staff · Full-time · Posted Aug 12, 2026
- Experience
- 7+ years of mechanical design experience working directly with aircraft design; preferred qualification separately states 7+ years of professional mechanical design experience working directly with aircraft structural design.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Visa sponsorship
- 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 required U.S. Department of State or Department of Commerce authorizations under export control regulations. The role also requires U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
About the job
Leads the design, analysis, testing, and production of UAV airframes and mechanical subsystems, from early concepts through field support.
What you'll do
- Own airframe and subsystem design across the hardware lifecycle, including CAD, engineering drawings, and manufacturing documentation.
- Analyze structural designs, develop requirements and test plans, oversee testing, and resolve structural issues using test data.
- Coordinate mechanical and electromechanical integration with cross-functional teams; mentor engineers and strengthen design standards.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 7+ years of mechanical design experience working directly with aircraft design.
- Experience taking complex mechanical assemblies from concept to production, with hands-on DFM and structural modeling and analysis.
- SolidWorks and GD&T proficiency; U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
Nice to have
- Skill correlating analytical results with physical test data.
- Familiarity with CAD configuration management or injection-molded and polymer-additive components.
Pay
$145,000 - $175,000 USD (base salary)
Tools
SolidWorks, GD&T, PCBAs, DVP&R
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative