Propulsion Engineer III (fluids)

Firefly Aerospace Propulsion Engineer

As an end-to-end space transportation company, Firefly Aerospace is on a mission to enable our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

About the Role

The Propulsion Fluid Systems team is responsible for the design, integration, and operation of all fluid subsystems across Firefly's launch vehicles and spacecraft. As a Responsible Engineer, you will work across the full lifecycle of hardware, including requirements definition, design, analysis, development, test, and qualification of the Eclipse launch vehicle fluid systems. In this role, you will lead CAD design and analysis efforts, collaborate with fabrication and integration teams to build and assemble the system, and support vehicle testing and launch operations. The fluid systems team requires deep technical knowledge, ownership of hardware from concept to flight, and clear communication with cross-functional partners including structures, propulsion, avionics, and vehicle systems. The successful candidate will be a self-starter who enjoys challenging assumptions, thrives in a fast-paced development environment, and seeks to make impactful contributions to Firefly's mission.

Responsibilities

Demonstrate full ownership of launch vehicle fluid system requirements, design, and analysis from concept through flight. Lead development of innovative design concepts for propulsion integration and operations that reduce complexity and maximize reliability within program constraints. Serve as the primary technical point of contact for all launch vehicle fluid systems. Author and present detailed design review presentations to internal and external stakeholders. Plan, coordinate, and execute development, qualification, and acceptance testing of flight hardware, including data analysis and reviews. Implement design-for-manufacturability improvements to increase production efficiency and vehicle reliability. Identify system-level risks, perform trade studies, and drive decisions to ensure successful vehicle operation. Develop and maintain automation tools and test data analysis capabilities. Support vehicle test and launch campaigns by providing console operations support. Collaborate with manufacturing and integration teams to develop processes, work instructions, and test procedures, and provide direct build support. Drive development of efficient test and launch operations for fluid systems and assist with troubleshooting during vehicle operations.

Qualifications

Required

• B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering discipline
• 5+ years of experience developing launch vehicle fluid systems
• Thorough understanding of fluid dynamics and thermodynamics
• Experience with tube or pipe design and layout
• Proficiency in modeling and analysis tools (e.g., CAD, FEA, CFD, MATLAB, Python)
• Deep knowledge of engineering fundamentals and a demonstrated history of applying first principles to arrive at simple, robust solutions
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and technical writing skills
• Hands-on experience with hardware design, fabrication, and testing
• Working knowledge of manufacturing, fabrication, integration, and quality control relevant to fluid components (such as machining, inspection, assembly, testing, etc.)
• Knowledge of fluid components such as valves, regulators, pressure transducers, tubing, pressurized hardware, seals, and instrumentation and experience performing fluid systems sizing analysis with such components
• Proven ability to rapidly develop solutions with partially defined or evolving requirements

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent field
• 8+ years of experience developing launch vehicle or spacecraft propulsion systems
• Knowledge of material selection for cryogenic, high-pressure, and high-temperature systems as well as oxygen-compatible materials
• Experience with fluid system subcomponent or pressurized component development, design, or testing (such as valves, regulators, piping systems, pumps, etc.)
• Experience in working with data acquisition systems and test instrumentation including pressure transducers, thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), flow meters, load cells, and accelerometers
• Experience conducting tubing/piping flexibility analysis using software packages such as Ansys, Caesar II, Bentley Autopipe, etc.
• Experience reducing the complexity of large integrated assemblies to reduce part count, cost, and lead time
• Demonstrated experience with full hardware lifecycle ownership, from blank-sheet design through full operation