Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Firestorm-posted 2 days ago
$136,000 - $178,000/Yr
Full-time • Mid Level
Onsite • San Diego, CA
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Firestorm is seeking a highly skilled Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to join our innovative engineering team in developing next-generation UAV systems. As a Mechanical Design Engineer at Firestorm, you will be responsible for the design, structural analysis, and build efforts of critical flight structures and mechanisms within our product line. You will be given ownership for the hardware product lifecycle of the airframe. You will be responsible for the design, analysis, and oversight of manufacturing and validation of primary structure. 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. In order to be successful in this role, you must be someone who is self-motivated, adaptable and is able to lead your own projects to completion in a fast-paced environment. Ideally, you have significant mechanical or structural design experience and a proven track record completing collaborative projects effectively. A successful candidate 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.

  • 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.
  • Lead the structural mechanical design of aircraft primary structures and airframe, from initial concept through production.
  • Develop and champion innovative structural solutions to optimize weight, cost, and performance, often taking the lead on these efforts.
  • Develop structural requirements, specifications, and test plans (DVP&R) with minimal guidance.
  • Review of static & dynamic load inputs, material properties and test results.
  • Independently perform analyses using FEA and hand calculations to predict performance under various loading conditions (static, dynamic, fatigue, etc.).
  • Lead and oversee structural testing, expertly analyze test data, and take ownership of generating detailed test reports.
  • Proactively investigate and resolve complex structural issues that arise during development and providing robust design solutions.
  • Contribute to the development and improvement of structural analysis methodologies and best practices within the team.
  • 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 harnesses, and connectors.
  • Support technical reviews and contribute to design and analysis decisions, ensuring robust engineering practices and adherence to program requirements.
  • Support rapid prototyping efforts with hands-on experience building functional prototypes in a shop environment, iterating designs based on real-world results and test data.
  • Troubleshoot mechanical and electromechanical issues through root cause analysis and implement effective corrective actions.
  • Contribute to configuration management and documentation control, maintaining clear versioning of CAD files, assemblies, and design revisions.
  • Build and maintain engineering rigor by contributing to the development of company-wide best practices, including CAD standards, documentation protocols, and hardware management processes. Write detailed build documentation and collaborate hands-on with technicians during hardware integration and assembly.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
  • 8+ years of mechanical design experience, working directly with aircraft design.
  • Minimum 3 year of hands-on experience in structural analysis.
  • Strong foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals; structures, fluid systems, thermal management, and mechanisms.
  • Hands-on design engineering experience, with proven application of design-for-manufacturability (DFM) principles.
  • Experience analyzing primary and secondary aircraft structures using industry-standard tools and methods.
  • Demonstrated ability to perform structural modeling and analysis of mechanical components and assemblies.
  • Proficiency in first-order structural analysis and hand calculations, including free body diagrams, statics, and mechanics of materials.
  • Experience in SolidWorks, including surfacing, top-down design, and advanced modeling techniques, plus strong knowledge of GD&T principles.
  • Experience integrating mechanical designs with electrical systems, including PCBAs, wiring harnesses, and electromechanical components such as servos and sensors.
  • Direct application of DFM and designing for additive, traditional, and composite manufacturing methods, including tooling and fixturing for composite assemblies.
  • Must be a U.S. Person (citizen or permanent resident) and able to work on-site in San Diego.
  • 10+ years’ of professional mechanical design experience, working directly with aircraft design, and analysis
  • 5+ of hands-on experience in structural analysis & in the design of primary structure for vehicles.
  • Hands-on experience with UAV or aerospace flight structures, including knowledge of rotary and fixed-wing platforms.
  • Proven ability to develop and execute mission-level simulations or analysis tools using MATLAB, Simulink, or similar environments
  • Background supporting the full hardware development lifecycle, including design, prototyping, testing, and production
  • Demonstrated skill in correlating analytical results with physical test data and applying findings to improve design performance
  • Familiarity with configuration management, version control practices for CAD, and engineering documentation control
  • Familiarity with designing injection-molded components or polymer-based additive manufacturing techniques.
  • We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans
  • 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals
  • Equity grants for new hires
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in November, & December.
  • Generous Parental Leave
  • Lifestyle Spending Account
  • FSA
  • DCFSA
  • HSA
  • Hospital Indemnity insurance
  • 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.
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