Senior DevOps Build Engineer

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 Labs is seeking an experience Senior DevOps Build Engineer to join our

growing team in San Diego. The DevOps Build Engineer owns the build and release

engineering function that turns source code into secure, reproducible,

deployable artifacts across our defense and government contract programs. This

role designs and maintains CI/CD pipelines, build automation, and artifact

management systems, and partners closely with development teams to deliver fast,

reliable, and auditable builds.

This position sits at the intersection of software engineering and platform

operations, with a focus on developer experience, build performance, and release

integrity. The DevOps Build Engineer will standardize how software is compiled,

packaged, versioned, and promoted across unclassified and controlled

unclassified environments, and will help bake security and compliance checks

directly into the build process.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

* Design, build, and maintain CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, or

Jenkins) that compile, test, package, and publish software across multiple

programs.

* Own build automation and release engineering end to end — reproducible

builds, semantic versioning, dependency management, and promotion across

environments.

* Manage artifact repositories and container registries (Artifactory, Nexus,

ECR/ACR), including retention, access control, and provenance.

* Develop and maintain build tooling and scripts (Bash, Python, Make, Bazel, or

Gradle) to standardize and accelerate builds across teams.

* Optimize build performance through caching, parallelization, and incremental

build strategies to reduce cycle time and cost.

* Integrate automated security and quality gates into pipelines (SAST, SCA,

dependency scanning, SBOM generation) and surface actionable results to

developers.

* Build and maintain container images and base image pipelines, keeping them

patched, hardened, and compliant.

* Automate infrastructure and build-environment provisioning using

infrastructure-as-code (Terraform).

* Partner with development, security, and compliance teams to deliver

self-service tooling and generate audit and compliance evidence from the

pipeline.

* Maintain documentation, runbooks, and standards for build and release

processes across the organization.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

* Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field — or

equivalent hands-on experience.

* 8+ years of experience in build/release engineering, DevOps, or software

infrastructure roles.

* Hands-on experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines with tools such

as GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, or Jenkins.

* Strong scripting and automation skills in Python and Bash.

* Experience with artifact and dependency management (Artifactory, Nexus, or

equivalent) and container registries.

* Proficiency with Git-based version control and branching/release workflows.

* Working knowledge of containerization (Docker)

* Experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS or Azure).

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

security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

* DevSecOps experience — integrating SAST/DAST/SCA scanning, software supply

chain security, SBOM generation, and artifact signing (Cosign/Sigstore) into

build pipelines.

* Hands-on Kubernetes experience (EKS, AKS, or self-managed), including

Helm-based packaging and container orchestration.

* Experience with GitOps workflows and tooling (ArgoCD or Flux).

* Hands on experience with the Conan C/C++ package manager, including custom

recipes and remote artifact caching

* Experience operating in AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, or IL4/IL5

environments.

* Familiarity with DoD and federal compliance frameworks (NIST 800-53, NIST

800-171, CMMC, FedRAMP, DFARS).

* Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

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 – $175,000 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.