Pay: USD 150,000–220,000/yearAnnual period assumed · Location-specific pay — pay source
Compensation US Salary Range: $150,000 – $220,000 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.
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Work setup: Unconfirmed
Employment: Unconfirmed

What you’ll work on

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.

Build AI systems end-to-end — Design model interfaces, retrieval, tool use, orchestration, evaluation, and the services required to run them in production.
Build for constrained environments — Support AI capabilities in cloud, air-gapped, and edge deployments where external model APIs may not be available.

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.

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.

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.

What you’ll bring

All qualifications

Core experience

5+ 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

5+ 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

Tools in this posting

Python

Source

- 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

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

Job description

View original posting ↗

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

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

5+ 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: $150,000 – $220,000 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.

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Source & posting history

View original posting ↗

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Pay: Compensation US Salary Range: $150,000 – $220,000 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

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Status in our records: Active
First seen by us: Sep 3, 2026
Recorded sightings: 62
Last seen by us: Oct 10, 2026

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ML Engineer, Applied AI – Crucible