Senior Process Engineer

Firestorm•San Diego, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Firestorm is hiring a cable and harness Senior Process Engineer at the mid or senior level, depending on experience. The role owns cable and harness manufacturing processes from prototype development through supplier production ramp. It develops and proves processes in-house during NPI, including wire preparation, crimping, termination, shield termination, backshells, overmolding, potting, breakout, and routing, then transfers the process and technical documentation to suppliers. RF assemblies are supplier-built; this role provides process ownership and technical oversight and reviews test criteria with engineering rather than building RF assemblies itself. The position combines hands-on work at the bench and formboard with process planning and supplier engagement. It owns electrical testing for non-RF harnesses, including continuity, hipot, and insulation resistance, as well as the programs, fixtures, and adapter cables needed for testing. The engineer authors and maintains manufacturing documentation, establishes process controls, designs and qualifies tooling, supports DFM and DFT, and leads process qualification, first articles, supplier audits, and transfer plans. Senior candidates own supplier transfers end to end from day one; mid-level candidates own in-house process and test and grow into transfer ownership. The position is onsite at Firestorm headquarters in San Diego, California. The work takes place in a standard office and manufacturing environment, including the production floor. Relocation assistance may be included in an offer where appropriate. The role requires sitting and standing for extended periods, regular bending, reaching, and moving about, and the ability to lift up to 50 pounds. It may involve moderate noise, temperature variation, and typical shop-floor conditions; required PPE is provided.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Electrical Engineering, or an equivalent degree; alternatively, 10 or more years of progressive relevant experience.
U.S. Person status as defined by 22 CFR § 120.62 is required due to ITAR regulations; this includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and protected individuals with asylee or refugee status.
At least 5 years of manufacturing or process engineering experience, with hands-on depth in cable, harness, or electromechanical assembly.
Experience with crimping and termination processes and rugged connector families, including circular MIL-spec, micro-D, D-sub, and RF/coax, as well as shield and braid termination.
Working knowledge of IPC/WHMA-A-620 and J-STD-001 and the ability to apply and defend acceptance criteria on the production floor.
Experience taking a product from prototype into production.
Experience developing harness tests for non-RF assemblies, including continuity and hipot systems, fixture and adapter design, and test program creation.
Demonstrated root-cause and corrective-action capability using structured problem solving, with preventive actions rather than containment alone.
Fluency in schematics, wire lists, interconnect diagrams, and mechanical drawings, including GD&T.
Practical command of lean principles, including standard work, line balancing, and cell layout.
Familiarity with PLM, ERP, and MES systems and the handoffs between them.
Ability to work between engineering and production, maintain a technical position with engineers, and remain credible with technicians.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated process transfer to an external supplier, including data-package development, process qualification, and first article at source.
Ownership of a product through a full production ramp, including a personally developed capacity model, line layout, or rate-readiness plan.
Active Secret clearance.
Hands-on RF cable assembly or RF test experience, or working knowledge of RF test methods sufficient to evaluate supplier data.
Mixed-commodity experience spanning cable and mechanical or electronics assembly.
Experience in UAV, experimental aircraft, or low-volume/high-mix aerospace, ideally at a company moving from prototype to production rate.
Experience with automated wire-processing equipment and harness design tools that support 3D-to-formboard flattening.
Overmolding, potting, and environmental-sealing process-development experience.
A continuous-improvement project with quantified results, or formal Lean or Six Sigma training.
Experience in an AS9100 environment, with FAI/AS9102 and supplier quality.
IPC/WHMA-A-620 CIS or CIT certification.
CAD proficiency sufficient to model and detail tooling.

Responsibilities

Develop cable and harness manufacturing processes for prototype and early production, including wire preparation, crimping, termination, shield and braid termination, backshells, strain relief, overmolding, potting, breakout, and routing.
Author and maintain manufacturing plans and documentation, including work instructions, formboard layouts, wire lists, MBOMs, routings, and travelers, as configurations change.
Establish and maintain process controls, including crimp-height and pull-test sampling plans, tool verification and calibration intervals, cure and cycle parameters, and ESD controls.
Design, source, build, and prove tooling and fixtures, including formboards, crimp tooling and positioners, hold-downs, pull-test setups, and overmold tooling.
Own non-RF harness electrical testing, including test programs, adapter cables, fixtures, and failure disposition with engineering.
Review RF cable assembly test criteria with engineering, communicate them to suppliers, and assess incoming test data and Certificates of Conformance against specifications.
Build manufacturing data packages for source transfer and own transition plans covering timelines, tooling duplication or shipment, operator training, dual-source strategy, and criteria for ending in-house builds.
Lead supplier process qualification, first articles, on-site audits, and build-readiness reviews; act as technical point of contact for supplier escapes, deviations, and changes; and hold suppliers to documented processes.
Provide actionable DFM and DFT feedback to electrical design on connector selection, wire and jacket callouts, service loops, breakout geometry, labeling, and harness segmentation for manufacturing and field repair.
Perform capacity analysis, takt and line balancing, and floor-layout planning for in-house prototype and pilot cells; validate supplier capacity against rate demand.
Lead root-cause and corrective action on process escapes and field returns, verify effectiveness, drive improvements in yield, cycle time, scrap, and rework, and support MRB disposition.
Train technicians on documented methods and verify their ability to execute them; improve the method when it is incorrect.
Uphold and promote 5S, foreign-object-debris (FOD) and ESD control, and shop safety.
Perform other duties as directed.

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans.
401(k) retirement savings plan.
Equity grants for new hires.
Unlimited paid time off.
Company holiday calendar, including holiday hiatuses in July and December.
Generous parental leave.
Lifestyle Spending Account.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA), and Health Savings Account (HSA).
Hospital indemnity, critical illness, and accident insurance.
Basic life/AD&D and short- and long-term disability insurance, fully covered by Firestorm, with the option to purchase additional life insurance for employees and their families.
Free 24/7 mental health resources, including therapy, and work-life services such as free legal and financial support.
Relocation assistance may be included in the offer package where appropriate.
Meaningful equity grant in a growth-stage defense technology company.