ML Engineer, Applied AI – Crucible

The posting, as Firestorm wrote it

Who We Are

At Firestorm, we are building the future of expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems. Modern conflict has exposed a fundamental problem: the systems needed most by operators are often too expensive, too slow to produce, and too difficult to sustain at scale. Firestorm exists to change that.

We develop mission-adaptable aerial systems and deployable manufacturing infrastructure designed to put capability directly into the hands of the warfighter. From modular unmanned aircraft to xCell — our deployable microfactory — our goal is to make defense systems rapidly deployable, adaptable, and producible at the point of need.

We are looking for builders, operators, and problem-solvers who want to work on meaningful technology with real-world impact.

About the Role

Firestorm builds uncrewed aircraft and the manufacturing network that produces them: full-capability plants, deployable xCell edge factories, and forward-deployed sites that stand up production near the point of need.

Crucible is the software that runs that network. It combines production planning, execution, supply chain, and manufacturing data into a common model of how production operates.

We are hiring a Staff Machine Learning Engineer to build the applied AI systems behind Crucible. You will work alongside data science and software engineering to productionize optimization and ML models, integrate foundation models into the platform, and build AI-assisted workflows grounded in Crucible's manufacturing data and system model.

This is a hands-on engineering role, not a research position. We are looking for someone who has shipped ML and AI capabilities into real products and understands what it takes to make them reliable, measurable, and useful after the prototype works.

What You’ll Do

• Build AI capabilities in Crucible — Develop AI-assisted workflows that use Crucible's data, APIs, and domain model to surface insights, answer questions, and help users make decisions.
• Productionize decision models — Work with data science to integrate optimization, forecasting, and other models into reliable product capabilities.
• Build AI systems end-to-end — Design model interfaces, retrieval, tool use, orchestration, evaluation, and the services required to run them in production.
• Select and evaluate models — Choose models and approaches based on capability, reliability, latency, security, and deployment constraints.
• Build for constrained environments — Support AI capabilities in cloud, air-gapped, and edge deployments where external model APIs may not be available.
• Ground AI in real operations — Work with manufacturing, supply chain, and product teams to turn operational problems into useful AI features.
• Set the technical direction for applied AI — Establish patterns, evaluation methods, and engineering standards for how AI is used across Crucible.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years building and shipping production software or ML systems, wi

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• 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 careers@launchfirestorm.com so we can provide the support you need.