Pay
$166K–$240K is typical
The middle half of what similar US postings state. This one doesn’t list pay.
From 1,279 postings in the last year. Stated ranges, not salaries paid.
ML Engineer, Applied AI – Crucible
San Diego, CA
Live, first seen by us 62 days ago- Pay
USD 167,000–193,000/yearAnnual period assumed. Location-specific pay — pay source
Compensation US Salary Range: $167,000 – $193,000 USD The posted salary range reflects an estimate based on a variety of compensation factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, education, certifications, specialized skills, geographic location, and business needs. Actual compensation may vary, and this range is subject to change as our compensation structure or market conditions evolve.
Read the full posting- Work setting
On-site — work setting source
Work setup in the employer’s posting: IN_OFFICE
From the employer’s posting- Employment
Full-time — employment source
Employment type in the employer’s posting: FULL_TIME
From the employer’s posting
Before you apply
- Work authorization
- US citizens or permanent residents only
US person required due to ITAR regulations
What you’ll work on
Full postingFirestorm builds uncrewed aircraft and the manufacturing network that produces them: full-capability plants, deployable xCell edge factories, and forward-deployed sites that stand up production near the point of need.
Crucible is the software that runs that network.
Build AI-assisted workflows that use Crucible's data and domain model
Productionize optimization, forecasting and other decision models with data science
Design model interfaces, retrieval, tool use, orchestration and evaluation services
Support AI in cloud, air-gapped and edge deployments
Set patterns, evaluation methods and engineering standards for applied AI
From the employer’s posting
Firestorm builds uncrewed aircraft and the manufacturing network that produces them: full-capability plants, deployable xCell edge factories, and forward-deployed sites that stand up production near the point of need.
Crucible is the software that runs that network. It combines production planning, execution, supply chain, and manufacturing data into a common model of how production operates.
Develop AI-assisted workflows that use Crucible's data, APIs, and domain model
Work with data science to integrate optimization, forecasting, and other models into reliable product capabilities
Design model interfaces, retrieval, tool use, orchestration, evaluation, and the services required to run them in production
Support AI capabilities in cloud, air-gapped, and edge deployments where external model APIs may not be available
Establish patterns, evaluation methods, and engineering standards for how AI is used across Crucible
What you’ll bring
All qualificationsCore experience
- 3+ years building and shipping production software or ML systems, with a proven track record of success
- Hands-on experience building production systems with LLMs or other foundation models
- Strong Python and software engineering fundamentals
- Experience with modern ML frameworks and transformer-based models
- Experience designing evaluations and monitoring production AI/ML behavior
- Demonstrated ability to make sound technical tradeoffs across model quality, reliability, latency, cost, and system complexity
Preferred experience
- Experience working with open-source models and local model inference
- Experience with manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, or other operational software
- Experience with model fine-tuning, inference optimization, or GPU deployment
Qualification wording
3+ years building and shipping production software or ML systems, with a proven track record of success
Hands-on experience building production systems with LLMs or other foundation models
Strong Python and software engineering fundamentals
Experience with modern ML frameworks and transformer-based models
Experience designing evaluations and monitoring production AI/ML behavior
Demonstrated ability to make sound technical tradeoffs across model quality, reliability, latency, cost, and system complexity
Experience working with open-source models and local model inference
Experience with manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, or other operational software
Experience with model fine-tuning, inference optimization, or GPU deployment
Benefits in the posting
Full benefits wording- 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
- 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.
- Export Control Compliance
- To conform to U.S. government export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce.
From the employer’s posting.
About Firestorm
At Firestorm, we are building the future of expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems.
In the employer’s words · Read in context
Posting record
Report an error- Status in our records
- Live
- First seen by us
- Sep 3, 202662 days ago
- Recorded sightings
- 87
- Last seen by us
- Nov 4, 2026
These dates show when we found the posting. Check the employer’s website to confirm it is still accepting applications.
How this job compares
Time since we first saw it
Day 62
Similar jobs usually come down between day 6 and day 69.
From 4,347 similar postings that came down. Coming down is not always a hire.
Firestorm is hiring
2 open jobs
Open jobs by the week we first saw them, last 12 weeks.
Hiring recordSee how this role fits your experience
Add your resume and we’ll mark which of these tools you already use, and point out anything in the posting that could rule you out.
- Python
Where the posting names them
- Hands-on experience building production systems with LLMs or other foundation models - Strong Python and software engineering fundamentals - Experience with modern ML frameworks and transformer-based models
Your next step
Complete your application on jobs.gem.com. The employer’s form will show what is required.
Already applied? Track this application
About the role
We file this job under ML Engineer, by the work the posting describes.
ML engineers put machine learning models into products. They write the code that trains, ships, serves and monitors models so a recommendation or prediction works for real users.
Postings ask for strong Python and software engineering, a framework such as PyTorch, cloud services, and more and more often experience with large language models.
A data scientist often works out which model to build; an ML engineer makes it run reliably in production.
US government figures for computer and information research scientists
- Median yearly pay, May 2025
- $140,300
- Expected change, 2025 to 2035
- 21.8% more jobsagainst 3.5% for all jobs
The government has no code for ML engineers, so these figures are for the closest group, computer and information research scientists.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025 to 2035). Occupation code 15-1221.
Job description
Who We Are
At Firestorm, we are building the future of expeditionary defense manufacturing and autonomous systems. Modern conflict has exposed a fundamental problem: the systems needed most by operators are often too expensive, too slow to produce, and too difficult to sustain at scale. Firestorm exists to change that.
We develop mission-adaptable aerial systems and deployable manufacturing infrastructure designed to put capability directly into the hands of the warfighter. From modular unmanned aircraft to xCell — our deployable microfactory — our goal is to make defense systems rapidly deployable, adaptable, and producible at the point of need.
We are looking for builders, operators, and problem-solvers who want to work on meaningful technology with real-world impact.
About the Role
Firestorm builds uncrewed aircraft and the manufacturing network that produces them: full-capability plants, deployable xCell edge factories, and forward-deployed sites that stand up production near the point of need.
Crucible is the software that runs that network. It combines production planning, execution, supply chain, and manufacturing data into a common model of how production operates.
We are hiring a Staff Machine Learning Engineer to build the applied AI systems behind Crucible. You will work alongside data science and software engineering to productionize optimization and ML models, integrate foundation models into the platform, and build AI-assisted workflows grounded in Crucible's manufacturing data and system model.
This is a hands-on engineering role, not a research position. We are looking for someone who has shipped ML and AI capabilities into real products and understands what it takes to make them reliable, measurable, and useful after the prototype works.
What You’ll Do
- Build AI capabilities in Crucible — Develop AI-assisted workflows that use Crucible's data, APIs, and domain model to surface insights, answer questions, and help users make decisions.
- Productionize decision models — Work with data science to integrate optimization, forecasting, and other models into reliable product capabilities.
- Build AI systems end-to-end — Design model interfaces, retrieval, tool use, orchestration, evaluation, and the services required to run them in production.
- Select and evaluate models — Choose models and approaches based on capability, reliability, latency, security, and deployment constraints.
- Build for constrained environments — Support AI capabilities in cloud, air-gapped, and edge deployments where external model APIs may not be available.
- Ground AI in real operations — Work with manufacturing, supply chain, and product teams to turn operational problems into useful AI features.
- Set the technical direction for applied AI — Establish patterns, evaluation methods, and engineering standards for how AI is used across Crucible.
Required Qualifications
- 3+ years building and shipping production software or ML systems, with a proven track record of success
- U.S. person required due to ITAR regulations
- Strong machine learning fundamentals, with hands-on experience beyond model API integration
- Demonstrated technical ownership of AI/ML systems from experimentation through production, including implementation, architecture, evaluation, and debugging
- Hands-on experience building production systems with LLMs or other foundation models
- Strong Python and software engineering fundamentals
- Experience with modern ML frameworks and transformer-based models
- Experience designing evaluations and monitoring production AI/ML behavior
- Demonstrated ability to make sound technical tradeoffs across model quality, reliability, latency, cost, and system complexity
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with open-source models and local model inference
- Experience with manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, or other operational software
- Experience with model fine-tuning, inference optimization, or GPU deployment
- Aerospace, defense, robotics, or other complex physical-system experience
Work Environment
- This role is based in San Diego, CA.
- We welcome candidates who are local or open to relocating; relocation assistance is available and may be included in the offer package where appropriate.
Compensation
US Salary Range: $167,000 – $193,000 USD
The posted salary range reflects an estimate based on a variety of compensation factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, education, certifications, specialized skills, geographic location, and business needs. Actual compensation may vary, and this range is subject to change as our compensation structure or market conditions evolve.
Benefits & Perks
Our culture fosters collaboration, respect, and trust, empowering passionate people to do their best work. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth. In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:
- 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 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.
Export Control Compliance
To conform to U.S. government export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Firestorm is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, and upholding equitable hiring practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic under federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. We actively encourage members of recognized minorities, women, Veterans, and those with disabilities to apply, and we work to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all applicants throughout the interview process.
Firestorm is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require accommodations or assistance during the application process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at careers@launchfirestorm.com so we can provide the support you need.
#LI-DNI
Source details
Source notes
Source excerptsSelected passages from the saved posting. Check the full description for conditions and exceptions.
- Pay
Compensation US Salary Range: $167,000 – $193,000 USD The posted salary range reflects an estimate based on a variety of compensation factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, education, certifications, specialized skills, geographic location, and business needs. Actual compensation may vary, and this range is subject to change as our compensation structure or market conditions evolve.
- Location & working pattern
San Diego, CA
Export Control Compliance To conform to U.S. government export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce. Equal Opportunity Statement
- Work authorization
Export Control Compliance To conform to U.S. government export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce. Equal Opportunity Statement