Senior Mechanical Engineer, Aircraft

The posting, as Firestorm wrote it

Firestorm is seeking a highly skilled Senior Mechanical Engineer, Aircraft to join our innovative engineering team in developing next-generation UAV systems. You will be responsible for the design, structural analysis, and build efforts of critical flight structures and mechanisms within our product line. You will work closely with a dynamic and fast-paced team of engineers and leadership to ensure mission-critical hardware meets stringent technical, schedule, and performance requirements.

In this role, you will play a pivotal role in developing mechanical components and subsystems that satisfy demanding criteria for performance, manufacturability, and cost. Your expertise will bridge advanced aerospace technology and practical engineering as you collaborate cross-functionally with electrical, manufacturing, and flight-test teams to ensure seamless integration of mechanical and electromechanical systems.

You will have proven experience delivering high-performance, mass-optimized hardware in rapid development environments, with a strong foundation in both mechanical design and structural analysis. Proficiency in 3D CAD, first-order hand calculations, and higher order analysis methods will be key to driving innovative solutions that enhance our UAV platform capabilities. As an individual contributor, you will directly influence the technical direction of your designs and help shape engineering best practices across projects. You will be engaged in all phases of the development lifecycle, from early concepts and prototyping through rigorous testing and production, in a fast-moving, high-impact setting.

What You’ll Do

• Support mechanical design and structural analysis efforts for key UAV subsystems across the entire product lifecycle: concept, prototyping, testing, production, and field support.
• Develop innovative, manufacturable mechanical designs optimized for UAV flight performance under varying operational conditions, ensuring structural, thermal, and functional requirements are met through rigorous analysis and validation.
• Analyze initial aerostructures designs against preliminary mass properties targets and strength and stiffness requirements.
• Create and maintain high-quality 3D CAD models, detailed engineering drawings, and manufacturing documentation using SolidWorks, emphasizing GD&T principles to ensure precision and manufacturability.
• Validate and optimize designs using a combination of hand calculations, finite element analysis (FEA), and physical testing.
• Drive high-cadence iterative design and analysis cycles, supporting rapid prototyping and cross-functional design reviews to incorporate test feedback promptly and continuously improve hardware through agile development processes.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with electrical engineers, flight-test engineers, and manufacturing teams to integrate complex mechanical and electromechanical systems, including servos, pumps, sensors, cameras, PCBAs, wiring harness

[…]
ance

• 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.