---
title: 'Staff Backend Engineer at Firestorm'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-backend-engineer-firestorm-san-diego-6jqgt9t3tbj7'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-10'
---

# Staff Backend Engineer at Firestorm

- **Company:** Firestorm
- **Location:** San Diego, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-01
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10
- **Apply:** https://jobs.gem.com/firestorm/am9icG9zdDoqFG4kNTmlaDeXhybKTYe1

## 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 plans and executes production across factories that don't look alike, using supply that isn't guaranteed to arrive. It runs in the cloud, inside a factory, and air-gapped in classified environments, with consistent behavior across all three.

The backend has to represent how production actually works: materials, inventory, resources, processes, work, constraints, and the state of a factory as it changes. It has to integrate with systems that own different pieces of that truth, support planning and optimization, and remain correct across deployments that may lose connectivity for hours or days.

We are hiring a Staff Backend Software Engineer to help build the core backend of Crucible. The backend is heavily TypeScript today, with GraphQL and Prisma, but we expect the stack to evolve with the product.

## What You’ll Do

- Build Crucible's backend — Design and ship the services, APIs, data models, and workflows behind production planning and execution.
- Own core system models — Define how Crucible represents production, materials, inventory, resources, work, and operational state.
- Design for distributed operation — Build systems that behave correctly across cloud, factory, and disconnected deployments, including synchronization, reconciliation, and failure recovery.
- Build durable integrations — Connect Crucible to PLM, ERP, quality, test, optimization, and other production systems through clear interfaces and ownership boundaries.
- Make the system reliable — Improve performance, observability, testing, and failure handling for software used to run real production.
- Partner on architecture — Work with software leadership and architecture on service boundaries, data ownership, system interfaces, and technical direction.
- Raise the engineering bar — Review critical code and designs, improve development practices, and help other engineers solve difficult backend problem

Required Qualifications

- 8+ years building and shipping backend or distributed software in production, with a proven track-record of success
- U.S. person required due to ITAR regulations
- Strong backend software engineering fundamentals and demonstrated judgment choosing technologies and system designs appropriate to the problem
- Strong experience with at least one modern backend language
- Strong relational data modeling, API design, and distributed systems fundamentals
- Experience designing systems with complex state, workflows, and consistency requirements
- Experience designing systems with synchronization, distributed state, or consistency challenges
- Experience operating and debugging production software
- Demonstrated ability to take ambiguous technical problems from design through deployment
- Strong written and verbal communication

## Preferred Qualifications

- Experience building production backend systems with TypeScript/Node.js, GraphQL, and Prisma or similar technologies
- Experience with disconnected or intermittently connected systems
- Experience with manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, ERP, or MES software
- Experience integrating with external enterprise or industrial systems
- Aerospace, defense, robotics, automotive, 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: $175,000 – $195,000 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. [Craft.co – Firestorm Company Profile](https://craft.co/firestorm)

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