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Modular Unmanned Autonomous Systems | Designed for the Warfighter, Built at the Edge.
The Role
Lead architecture, design, and development of avionics electrical systems for Group 2 UAS. Hands-on with schematic and PCB design, bring-up, integration, testing, troubleshooting, and system-level verification. Drive cross-disciplinary integration, supplier selection, documentation, and corrective actions while mentoring engineers and supporting production and fleet operations.
Summary Generated by Built In
Who We Are
About the Role
What You’ll Do
Required Qualifications Preferred Qualifications
At Firestorm, we’re on a mission to revolutionize how defense solutions are designed and delivered. Our goal is to empower U.S. ally nations to effectively deter aggressors—regardless of their defense budget—through innovative, cost-efficient technologies. We call this vision “democratized deterrence.” As a VC-backed company at the intersection of defense and Silicon Valley, we’re pioneering the development of mission-adaptable aerial vehicles that put power back into the hands of operators. By prioritizing operator effectiveness, we’re pioneering a new era of aerial vehicle design. We aim to upend the traditional defense procurement model by delivering world-class capabilities at a fraction of the usual cost. Join us at Firestorm as we redefine defense procurement, making cutting-edge technology accessible to all at a fraction of the cost.
As a Staff Electrical Engineer, you will lead the development of avionics hardware for Group 2 UAS across multiple launch modalities, from architecture and design through validation, production, and fleet support. You will work across electrical, mechanical, firmware, software, test, reliability, manufacturing, supply chain, and operations to deliver safe, robust, and manufacturable systems. This is a hands-on technical leadership role where you will drive key technical decisions, shape engineering processes, and guide complex hardware development across programs.
- Lead the architecture, design, and development of avionics electrical systems for Group 2 UAS across multiple launch modalities
- Remain hands-on through schematic design, PCB development, bring-up, integration, testing, troubleshooting, and design iteration
- Lead aircraft-level integration, root-cause investigations, and corrective actions across avionics, payloads, flight controls, propulsion, and other aircraft subsystems
- Define and execute system-level verification and validation to ensure hardware meets performance, safety, and reliability requirements
- Partner across firmware, software, mechanical, thermal, test, reliability, manufacturing, supply chain, operations, and program teams to resolve complex technical challenges
- Serve as a technical point of contact for design reviews, system integration, flight test, suppliers, customers, and other key stakeholders
- Own and review engineering documentation, hardware changes, test procedures, configuration records, and compliance with applicable standards and company processes
- Work with suppliers on component selection, technical evaluation, availability, quality, and production readiness
- Identify technical risks, drive key engineering tradeoffs, improve engineering processes, and provide technical guidance and mentorship to the broader team
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical field
- Experience: 10+ years in electrical engineering, with a focus on avionics, UAV systems, or similar industries
- Technical Expertise: Strong hands-on knowledge of analog and digital circuit design, PCB design, and avionics systems
- Project Management: Ability to oversee the technical aspects of projects from concept to delivery, ensuring that deadlines and specifications are met
- Leadership Skills: Experience leading technical projects or small teams in an engineering environment
- Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on delivering innovative solutions
- Hands-on experience developing and validating safety-critical electromechanical systems
- A strong electrical engineering foundation and the ability to reason from first principles about hardware behavior and failure
- U.S. Person status (Citizen or Permanent Resident) required due to ITAR regulations
- Experience with developing for a safety-critical environment (human in the loop)
- Experience working on products used in extreme environments (automotive, aerospace, defense, etc.)
- Knowledge of software protocols for embedded development, including use of timers, interrupts, hardware peripherals such as SPI controllers and ADCs
- Familiarity with avionics design standards like DO-254, MIL-STD-810, and others
- Solid understanding of schematic design and PCB layout for analog, digital, RF, and power circuits
- Demonstrated ownership and practical problem-solving ability, including driving technically complex issues through resolution
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or related technical field
- 10+ years electrical engineering experience with focus on avionics, UAV systems, or similar industries
- Hands-on knowledge of analog and digital circuit design
- PCB design, schematic development, and bring-up experience
- Experience developing and validating safety-critical electromechanical systems
- Ability to oversee technical aspects of projects from concept to delivery
- Experience leading technical projects or small engineering teams
- Strong problem-solving and first-principles reasoning about hardware behavior and failure
- U.S. Person status (U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident) required due to ITAR
Firestorm Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Firestorm and has not been reviewed or approved by Firestorm.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive across medical, dental, and vision, with company‑paid life/AD&D and short‑ and long‑term disability plus optional hospital indemnity, critical illness, and accident insurance. Tax‑advantaged accounts and mental‑health resources are also highlighted.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off includes “unlimited PTO” and an unusually generous holiday calendar that features a year‑end hiatus. Generous parental leave is also called out.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Multiple postings list explicit salary ranges for roles across engineering, operations, and field positions, and internship hourly rates are published. These disclosures provide clearer expectations on cash compensation for many candidates.
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The Company
What We Do
We are building the future of modular, open-source architectures supporting the Department of Defense requirements to create Affordable Mass. Firestorm is redefining military expectations for on-site modularity to support the widest array of mission areas.
