--- title: 'Senior Android Apps Engineer – ArcTAK Lead at Firestorm' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-android-apps-engineer-arctak-lead-firestorm-san-diego-q1red1fm1ztt' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-29' --- # Senior Android Apps Engineer – ArcTAK Lead at Firestorm - **Company:** Firestorm - **Location:** San Diego, CA - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-10-23 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-29 - **Apply:** https://jobs.gem.com/firestorm/am9icG9zdDqVFxFFLiiMPW6YP2STAOj3 ## 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 modular autonomous aircraft designed to adapt across missions, payloads, and deployment environments. We are seeking an Android Applications Engineer, Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) to join our team at our San Diego office. In this role, you will design and develop solutions across the TAK ecosystem to support real-time communication, situational awareness, and mission execution for defense and tactical operations. You will rapidly grow into the lead developer on a small team, taking on ownership of this product at that time. Working alongside other senior engineers and cross-functional teammates, you'll apply your strong skills to build, test, and deploy capabilities that directly serve frontline operators. You would be a good candidate for this position if you fit the following description: You have extensive experience in Android and Java engineering. You possess leadership skills and are eager to mentor other engineers. You're curious about real-world tactical challenges and are motivated to build solutions which work in demanding environments. You thrive on collaboration, working with developers, quality assurance, operators, and product managers to deliver impactful results. You welcome rapidly evolving technologies and are comfortable iterating quickly to stay ahead of shifting requirements. You hold yourself to high standards in coding, testing, and documentation. You're always looking to improve. ## What You’ll Do - Design and implement ATAK plugins, features, and integrations in Java. - Lead the full development lifecycle of ATAK-based application solutions. - Work closely with a manager to plan release goals, timelines, and cycles. - Assist with sprint planning for junior developers. - Review code from junior developers and assist in their skills development. - Author build instructions, testing instructions, release notes and other technical documents. - Contribute to and navigate official TAK repositories, maintaining alignment with community standards and coordinating with external stakeholders. - Engage with TAK community initiatives to stay current on feature updates and best practices. - Create UI assets and ensure interface designs are optimized for ease of use in austere and high-intensity environments. - Apply knowledge of industry-standard protocols (i.e. MAVLink, Link 16, OMNI) to develop secure solutions for cross-platform interoperability. - Support the evaluation and integration of UAS systems into TAK workflows. - Participate in client-facing engagements with government, military, and commercial stakeholders, including gathering feedback and delivering product demonstrations. - Implement and maintain best practices for secure data handling, network configurations, and user access controls. - Work closely with cross-functional teams (software, hardware, operations) to align TAK capabilities with broader organizational objectives. Required Qualifications - Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field. - 5+ years of software development experience with a strong focus on Java. - 5+ years of experience developing for Android, including familiarity with Android Studio IDE, Android SDK, Gradle build system, and Jetpack libraries. - Ability to seamlessly integrate C++ code into Android applications using the Android NDK and JNI. - Experience implementing encryption, authentication, and secure communication methodologies in restricted environments. - Background in secure DevOps practices, including test automation and CI/CD pipelines. - High proficiency in Android architecture fundamentals, including the Activity lifecycle, Services, Broadcast Receivers, and Content Providers. - Customer-facing communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences. - U.S. citizenship is required, alongside the ability to obtain U.S. Government security clearance. ## Preferred Qualifications - Deep knowledge of the TAK ecosystem (ATAK, TAK Server, etc.), including plugin development and system integration. - Full understanding of the Cursor-On-Target message formats and its different sub-schemas. - Demonstrated success building and maintaining ATAK/TAK solutions, including plugin creation and lifecycle management. - Hands-on familiarity with the TAK Product Center, including code contributions, community collaboration, and plugin lifecycle management. - Background in defense or tactical UX, with an understanding of operator constraints, workflows, and operational requirements. - Experience with real-time video streaming systems (RTSP, SRT) connected to TAK platforms. - Knowledge of unmanned aerial systems, including flight dynamics, sensor feeds, and communication protocols. 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: $145,000 – $165,000 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. ## About Firestorm ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Firestorm is a venture-backed defense technology company building an expeditionary manufacturing ecosystem to produce and sustain modular, mission-adaptable unmanned systems and parts at the point of need. - **Entity Type**: Private (VC-backed; Series A completed in July 2025) - **Headquarters**: San Diego, California, United States - **Founded**: 2022 - **Founders**: Dan Magy (CEO), Chad McCoy (CGO), Ian Muceus (CTO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Defense technology / Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing - **Target customers**: U.S. Department of Defense, Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Navy, Marine Corps, and allied forces (B2G) - **Mission statement**: “Equip warfighters with mission-critical capabilities at the point of need. Deliver adaptable resilience through uncontestable defense logistics.” ## Products & Services - **xCELL**: An expeditionary manufacturing unit that uses additive manufacturing (HP Multi-Jet Fusion) to produce high-strength polymer parts in the field. Off-grid, rapidly deployable, with secure communications and HVAC control. - **TEMPEST**: A modular unmanned aerial system (UAS) designed for production inside the xCELL unit. Configurable payloads for diverse mission sets. - **SQUALL**: An additively-manufactured first-person view (FPV) platform optimized for xCELL production. “Print. Build. Fly. Dominate.” - **Repair & Sustainment at the Edge**: On-demand production of replacement parts to keep units operational when resupply is delayed or denied. ## Market Standing - **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company) - **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$179.5M** across multiple rounds (as of mid-2025). Annual revenue estimated at **$7.6M** (Craft.co). - **Notable Investors / Partners**: The company has raised from at least 4 investors in the latest Series A ($47M announced July 2025), including debt financing and seed rounds. Specific investors not fully detailed in available sources but include VC firms backing defense tech. - **Growth Signals**: Employee headcount grew **95.9% YoY** to 127 people; job postings increased **4,400% YoY** (45 active openings). Talent sourced from Northrop Grumman, Shield AI, HP, General Atomics, L3Harris, and others. Awarded PY25.1 STRATFI funding (March 2025) to advance modular unmanned aerial systems. ## Competitive Advantages - **Expeditionary Manufacturing**: Forward-deployed additive manufacturing reduces dependence on traditional, centralized logistics – a key differentiator for contested environments. - **Modular Open-Source Architectures**: Platforms designed for rapid configuration and scalability, supporting “Affordable Mass” requirements of the DoD. - **Vertically Integrated Ecosystem**: Proprietary UAS platforms (Tempest, Squall) are purpose-built for the xCELL production process, creating a tight hardware-software-manufacturing loop. - **Founding Team**: CEO Dan Magy is a 5-time founder in defense hardware/robotics/AI with a previous exit (Citadel Defense). CGO Chad McCoy is a Tier 1 Special Operations veteran. CTO Ian Muceus is an additive manufacturing subject matter expert from Stratasys. ## Strategic Focus - **Current priorities**: Scaling expeditionary manufacturing units (xCELL) for field deployment; expanding modular UAS platforms (Tempest, Squall); deepening relationships with Navy, USMC, SOCOM, and CENTCOM; hiring aggressively across engineering, operations, and business development. - **Direction for growth**: Move from prototype to production at scale, build a network of distributed production assets, and become a prime supplier of affordable, mission-adaptable systems for the DoD. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: “Build toward a future defined by incontestable defense logistics.” Emphasis on solving hard problems that reshape defense. Flat, mission-driven team of engineers, operators, and problem-solvers. - **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Mix of in-office (San Diego HQ, Rome NY), hybrid, and fully remote roles depending on position. Engineering roles often San Diego-based with some remote flexibility. - **Notable Perks**: Opportunity to work at the intersection of additive manufacturing, robotics, and defense; fast-growing startup with significant VC backing; direct impact on warfighter capabilities. - **Engineering Culture**: Heavy focus on embedded systems, automation, airframe design, RF, AI/optimization, and manufacturing engineering. Teams are small, cross-functional, and hands-on. ## Sources 1. [Gem Careers – Firestorm](https://jobs.gem.com/firestorm) 2. [launchfirestorm.com – Solution & About](https://launchfirestorm.com/?from_theconsensus=1) 3. [LinkedIn – Firestorm Labs](https://linkedin.com/company/firestorm-labs) 4. [Built In – Firestorm Careers](https://builtin.com/company/firestorm) 5. 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