Staff Data Scientist, Optimization in San Diego, California at Firestorm

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 has to answer practical questions: what should we build, where should we build it, what constrains the plan, and what changes when material, capacity, or demand moves. Many of those are optimization problems. The answer has to account for production capacity, inventory, sourcing, lead times, transportation, and incomplete information. It also has to solve quickly enough to be useful and explain why it produced the plan it did. We are hiring a Staff Data Scientist to own the optimization and decision science behind Crucible. As the first dedicated data scientist on the team, you'll set the technical direction for how Crucible models and solves planning problems, while staying hands-on building the models that ship in the product. You'll work directly with the Crucible software team and with manufacturing, supply chain, and product as we grow both the platform and the science behind it. What You’ll Do

• Own Crucible's optimization models — Formulate and solve problems across production planning, allocation, sourcing, inventory, scheduling, and manufacturing network optimization.
• Choose the right approach — Use mathematical optimization, heuristics, simulation, statistics, or simpler methods based on the problem and the decisions the user needs to make.
• Build models that work in production — Prototype against real data, establish baselines, test solution quality and performance, and work with software engineers to ship models inside Crucible.
• Model real-world uncertainty — Account for incomplete data, changing demand, variable lead times, supplier performance, and other conditions that make a mathematically perfect plan operationally wrong.
• Work directly with users — Spend time with manufacturing, supply chain, and program teams to understand how decisions are actually made and translate those constraints into the product.
• Set the direction for decision science — Establish how Crucible formulates problems, evaluates model quality, explains recommendations, and determines when additional model complexity is actually worthwhile.
• Build the foundation for the team — Establish the tools, methods, and technical standards that future data scientists will build on and raise the modeling fluency of the broader Crucible team.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years (or 6+ w/ PhD) building optimization, operations research, or data science solutions for complex operational problems
• U.S. person required due to ITAR regulations
• Demonstrated technical leadership on ambiguous problems, including setting modeling direction and influencing product or engineering decisions
• Strong background in mathematical optimization, including linear or mixed-integer programming, network optimization, scheduling, or related methods
• Hands-on experience with optimization tools such as Gurobi, CPLEX, OR-Tools, Pyomo, or equivalent
• Strong Python and SQL, with experience writing code that is tested, maintained, and used in production
• Strong statistical fundamentals and experience working with incomplete, noisy, or uncertain data
• Demonstrated ability to take an ambiguous operational problem from formulation through validation and deployment
• Strong written and verbal communication across technical and operational teams
• Willingness to spend real time with the people using the models you build
• U.S. person status (ITAR)

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field
• Experience with production planning, supply chain, logistics, inventory optimization, or manufacturing systems
• Experience with simulation, stochastic optimization, robust optimization, or decomposition methods
• Aerospace, defense, UAS, automotive, or other complex manufacturing 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 – $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.