Sr. Staff Project Engineer, UAS Development

Firestorm•San Diego, CA

1d•$195,000 - $230,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Staff Project Engineer, UAS Development is responsible for leading and coordinating the technical development of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) throughout the entire product lifecycle: from initial prototype development, including conceptual design to first flight, through productionization. This utilizes strong engineering fundamentals and efficient technical program execution to deliver safe, reliable, and innovative UAS platforms. In addition to individual-contributor program execution, the Senior Staff Project Engineer is expected to build the functional processes and best practices that make UAS program execution repeatable across the team, not just for their own programs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred).
U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.
12+ years of experience in aerospace development, with at least 3 years in a Project Engineer or equivalent technical program execution role.
Experience in aircraft architecture, airframe development, or aircraft software development.
Demonstrated experience building or substantially improving an engineering process (e.g., design review structure, configuration management, verification planning)—not just following an existing one.
Ability to work in fast-paced, evolving environments with rapid development cycles.
Deep understanding of first order principles, demonstrated by hand calculations of statics and mechanics.
Proficient in systems engineering and technical program execution methodologies.
Familiar with CAD and simulation tools (e.g., SolidWorks, MATLAB/Simulink).
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and cross-functional communication skills.

Nice To Haves

15+ years of experience in aerospace development.
5+ years in unmanned aerial systems or autonomous platforms.
Prior experience mentoring or informally leading engineers, even without a formal management title.
Private pilot, home-build aircraft, or RC build aircraft experience highly desirable.
Understanding of autonomy, AI/ML integration, or edge computing for UAS.
Familiarity with DoD, NASA, or commercial UAS programs.
Knowledge of UAS regulatory frameworks (FAA Part 107 or COA) and airworthiness requirements.

Responsibilities

Manage technical maturity, ensuring alignment with program timelines and budgets.
Lead and coordinate program reviews from conceptual design reviews through production readiness reviews.
Coordinate across multidisciplinary teams including aero-performance, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, autonomy, software, flight testing, and payload integration.
Translate system specifications into derived requirements and manage system-level architecture and interfaces.
Provide peer reviews for technical deliverables such as stress analyses and flight test plans.
Ensure all subsystems (flight control, navigation, communication, propulsion, etc.) are effectively integrated and tested.
Map verification and validation methods to requirements.
Communicate technical risks through appropriate stakeholders.
Establish repeatable templates and entry/exit criteria for design and program reviews so review quality doesn't depend on who's running it.
Build and maintain configuration management and interface control practices that scale as program count and team size grow.
Capture lessons learned from each development cycle and convert them into concrete process changes, checklists, or tooling—not just retrospective notes.
Partner with engineering leadership to decide where formal process adds value versus where it slows down iteration—this role is expected to professionalize execution without over-processing a fast-moving org.
Interface with internal teams, suppliers, customers, and government agencies to align expectations and ensure project success.
Prepare and deliver project reports, risk assessments, and technical presentations to senior leadership and stakeholders.

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Equity grants for new hires
Unlimited PTO
Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in July & 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.
Relocation assistance is available