Senior Systems Engineer, Metal Manufacturing

Firestorm is a defense technology company solving one of the hardest logistics problems in modern warfare — how do you manufacture what you need, when you need it, and where you need it without support from traditional supply chains. Our answer is xCell: containerized, deployable manufacturing units built around advanced additive and traditional manufacturing that go where warfighters go.

About the role

We’re building new variants of a fielded platform — including a metal manufacturing capability that doesn’t exist anywhere else in this form — and we need an engineer who wants to own hard problems from first principles through production (this is not a maintenance role). You’ll work as a senior individual contributor with real autonomy, shaping how we approach metal manufacturing engineering challenges at a company still early enough for your fingerprints to matter.

Responsibilities

• Guide the engineering effort to define, develop, prototype, and productionize xCell’s metal manufacturing capability; drive the process from trade studies through fielded solution.
• Establish the manufacturing processes, parameters, and quality criteria that will govern metal part production in a deployed environment.
• Define the problem, run trade studies, establish constraints, iterate design, prototype, and drive to production across metal manufacturing variants.
• Apply systems-level thinking to ensure the metal manufacturing capability integrates with the broader xCell system across mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and software interfaces.
• Own the full part journey from raw feedstock through final part, including CNC machining, finishing operations, and inspection.
• Support sustaining engineering when field issues arise, driving solutions with the xCell engineering team.
• Serve as a technical anchor on a growing team, elevating the engineers around you.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering or related field. In lieu of a degree, 10+ years of progressive engineering experience.
• U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations, with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
• 7+ years of hands-on hardware development experience — concept through production, not just analysis.
• Deep experience in metal additive manufacturing — strong powder bed fusion background considered if other attributes are compelling.
• Hands-on CNC machining experience — you understand the subtractive side of the equation and how it integrates with additive processes.
• Systems engineering mindset — you can hold requirements, tradeoffs, and interfaces in your head simultaneously.
• Proficiency with CAD (SolidWorks preferred) and PLM tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with directed energy deposition (DED), wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), or cold spray.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, naval, medical, or automotive applications.
• High ownership mentality — you close loops, don’t wait to be told, and hold yourself and others to a high standard.
• Additional metal forming, cutting, or finishing process experience beyond CNC.
• Familiarity with metal part qualification and inspection in regulated or defense environments.
• Experience defining and documenting manufacturing processes from scratch.

Work Environment

• Based onsite at our San Diego, CA headquarters.
• Relocation assistance available for the right candidate.
• Travel up to 10%, including customer sites and events.
• Operates in a standard office setting and manufacturing environment; may involve exposure to loud noise, heat, cold, dust, or chemicals (with PPE).
• Requires ability to sit, stand, bend, reach, climb, and move about regularly throughout the day; must have manual dexterity to operate standard office equipment.

Pay

Base salary: $145,000 - $160,000, commensurate with experience. Meaningful equity grant in a growth-stage defense technology company.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans.
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan.
• Unlimited PTO.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in July and December.
• Generous Parental Leave.
• Lifestyle Spending Account.
• FSA, DCFSA, HSA.
• Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance.
• Basic Life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance, 100% covered by Firestorm; option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your family.
• Mental Health Resources: Free 24/7 therapy and additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support.