Firefly Aerospace

Instrumentation & Controls Manager GSE

Firefly Aerospace • $100K — $130K *
Bertram, TX 78605In-Person
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
3 weeks ago
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
  • 5+ years in integration/testing of process control or launch systems
  • 2+ years of management or team leadership experience
  • Strong electrical fundamentals with hands-on measurement and diagnostic tools experience
  • Knowledge of various electrical sensors
  • Exemplary communication, planning, and organizational abilities
  • Ability and willingness to collaborate with cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

  • Lead and mentor a team of up to 10 engineers in modern instrumentation and control systems design
  • Recruit, develop, and retain engineering talent committed to space access
  • Set performance goals and conduct regular reviews to support team development
  • Cultivate a culture of technical excellence and innovation
  • Manage project definitions, milestones, and resource allocations
  • Oversee the development and deployment of ground support control systems
  • Coordinate relationships with interdisciplinary teams for project requirements

Benefits

  • Generous health, dental, and vision plans with low deductibles
  • Parental leave
  • Educational reimbursement
  • Short term disability
  • Flexible PTO options
Full Job Description


Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Management
  • Lead & mentor a team of up to 10 engineers as they design, implement, and troubleshoot modern instrumentation and control systems for the ground systems of tomorrow's launch vehicles and spacecraft
  • Recruit, develop, and retain top engineering talent with passion for advancing space access
  • Set clear goals, provide regular feedback, align individual development with company targets, conduct performance reviews, and nurture a healthy and challenging team culture
  • Inspire and nurture a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement by challenging hardware and software norms and developing more effective workspaces & tools
  • Define and manage project definition, project milestones, hand-off, and resource allocation forecasts

Technical Leadership
  • Oversee the design, development, testing, and deployment of GSE control and instrumentation systems including:
    • Functional test systems and automated test equipment (ATE)
    • Data acquisition systems and signal conditioning
    • Control panels, junction panels, and vehicle umbilical/quick disconnect systems
    • Sensor integration (thermocouples, RTDs, strain gauges, pressure transducers, etc) for development
  • Review & approve instrumentation and control system drawing packages including, but not limited to:
    • Control & I/O diagrams
    • Instrument and control cable schedules
    • Instrument Loop Diagrams
    • Junction box and control panel wiring diagrams
  • Diagnose and resolve complex electrical problems in Integration, Test, and Launch systems
  • Support Test execution/troubleshooting and validate functional testing configurations
  • Review & analyze test data to ensure the highest quality test data and accuracy
  • Ensure compliance with aerospace quality standards, safety requirements, and local regulations

Cross Functional Collaboration
  • Coordinate and manage relationships with interdisciplinary teams to set project requirements, coordinate on complex construction projects (new Test Stands, Launch Sites, vehicle transport systems, etc), manage scope creep, and balance technical rigor with program urgency
  • Manage capital budgets for Ground Support projects

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical discipline
  • Minimum 5 years of experience in integration and/or testing of process control systems, spacecraft test equipment, or launch systems.
  • Minimum 2 years of direct management experience or team leadership experience
  • Strong electrical fundamentals with hands-on experience using DMMs, power supplies, oscilloscopes, and small ADC/DAC circuits.
  • Working knowledge of common electrical sensors (thermocouples, RTDs, strain gauges, pressure transducers, encoders, load cells etc)
  • Excellent communication, planning, and organizational skills
  • Demonstrated ability and desire to work with interdisciplinary teams

Preferred Qualifications
  • Spacecraft / Launch Vehicle test and validation experience
  • Experience with launch site operations and GSE deployment
  • Experience programming PLCs/FPGAs
  • Experience programming and implementing HMIs (human machine interfaces)
  • Proficiency with motion controllers, signal conditioners, or data acquisition systems (National instruments, etc.)
  • Ability to write and simulate automated testing scripts in LabVIEW, Python, or similar
  • Familiarity with MIL-STD specifications and aerospace quality standards (AS9100, NASA)
  • A balanced sense of urgency and risk management style to handle interdisciplinary conflicts as they arise.
  • Experience managing vendor relationships and external contractors

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.

About Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace is an aerospace and defense company that develops and manufactures launch vehicles for the small satellite market. The company was founded in 2014 by Tom Markusic and Max Polyakov. Firefly's launch vehicles are designed to provide affordable and reliable access to space for small satellite operators. The company's flagship product is the Alpha rocket, which is capable of delivering payloads of up to 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit. Firefly is backed by a group of investors, including DADA Holdings, Noosphere Ventures, and Astera Institute.
Learn more about Firefly Aerospace
Industry
Aerospace & Defense
Founded
2014
* Ladders Estimates

Similar Jobs

Ad banner background

Get Ready For Your
Next Interview

More Jobs at Firefly Aerospace

More Aerospace & Defense Jobs

Find similar Instrumentation & Controls Manager GSE jobs:

NationwideBertram, TX