ML Engineer, Applied AI – Crucible

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

* U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government

security clearance

* 5+ years building and shipping production software or ML systems, with a

proven track record of success

* 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 [email protected]

so we can provide the support you need.