Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or related field
5+ years of hands-on experience with fluids, pneumatic, hydraulic, and electrical systems
2+ years of personnel management experience
Experience in designing, building, and troubleshooting complex systems
Ability to create and interpret engineering documentation
Strong prioritization skills in high-pressure environments
Self-motivated with a proactive approach to system performance
Effective communicator for technical and non-technical audiences
Comfortable in launch site environments with hazardous materials.
Responsibilities
Lead operation, maintenance, and testing of launch pad systems
Facilitate hiring, training, and onboarding for the engineering team
Guide design reviews and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams
Support system integrity testing for launch readiness
Lead troubleshooting and resolve operational issues
Perform launch console operations and close out activities
Write procedures for system operation and maintenance
Develop maintenance strategies to maximize system availability
Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure compliance with safety requirements
Provide technical write-ups for system upgrades.
Benefits
Generous health, dental, and vision plans with low deductibles
Parental leave
Educational reimbursement
Short-term disability
Flexible PTO options
Full Job Description
SUMMARY
Firefly' Launch team is hiring for high-impact, dynamic engineering position for those who thrive on solving real problems in diverse environments. We are looking for a technical manager to lead the propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineers at Vandenberg SLC-2. In addition to personnel and technical leadership, this role will contribute to the operation, upgrade and maintenance of all launch pad systems.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead operation, maintenance and testing of the launch pad fluids, pneumatic mechanical, and electrical systems.
Facilitate hiring, training, and onboarding activities for the launch operations engineering team
Guide design reviews and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including design engineers, technicians, external partners, and site personnel to drive system upgrades, streamline operations, and validate system readiness and performance for launch campaigns.
Support launch pad system and flight vehicle system integrity testing to validate system health, performance and readiness for launch campaigns.
Lead troubleshooting efforts, resolve any issues and non-conformances that arise during operations/testing, and support anomaly investigations
Perform launch console operations or launch day close out team activities
Write procedures for system operation, maintenance, and vehicle testing operations.
Develop and execute maintenance strategies that maximize system availability and minimize downtime between missions.
Collaborate with customers, external stakeholders, and design teams to ensure interoperability and compliance with regulatory and range safety requirements.
Provide technical write-ups for systems upgrade proposals or tailoring of regulations.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or related engineering discipline
5+ years of hands-on experience with fluids systems, pneumatic systems, mechanisms, hydraulic systems, electrical systems, tooling, flight hardware or test operations
2+ years of managing personnel
Experience designing, building, troubleshooting and/or operating complex fluid or pneumatic systems in an operational or project environment.
Ability to create and interpret engineering documentation including drawings, P&ID schematics and test data.
Able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high pressure fast-paced environment
Ability to self-motivate and take the initiative to ensure your systems are functional and operating at peak performance
Lead by example and work ethic
Ability to convey complex technical information clearly and concisely to technical and non-technical audiences
Comfortable working in launch site environments with field testing, lifting equipment, and hazardous materials.
Desired
5+ yrs running console operations for integrated vehicle and pad operations
Familiarity with version control systems like SVN, Bitbucket, etc
Prior launch vehicle operations at test or launch facilities
Working knowledge of data viewing tools in Python, LabView, Matlab, etc
Experience in development and/or operations of launch vehicles
USG and Commercial launch proposal support
Familiarity with AFSPCMAN 91-710, RCC 319/324
Salary Range: $145,000 - $175,000
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 Space Systems
Firefly Space Systems was an American aerospace manufacturer based in Cedar Park, Texas. The company was founded in 2013 with the goal of developing low-cost launch vehicles for the small satellite industry. Firefly's Alpha rocket was designed to carry payloads of up to 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit. The company was acquired by EOS Launcher in 2017 and is now known as Firefly Aerospace. Firefly Aerospace is continuing the development of the Alpha rocket and is also working on a larger rocket called Beta, which is designed to carry payloads of up to 8,000 kg to low Earth orbit. Firefly Aerospace is committed to providing affordable access to space for small satellite operators.
