Deputy Chief Engineer, Launch Vehicles Verified today
About Firefly Aerospace
Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to reliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly was the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the first to achieve a successful Moon landing.
The Role
Chief Engineering serves as the technical cornerstone of Firefly's space ecosystem, defining vehicle-level architecture and capabilities that reliably deliver missions from the surface of the Earth to the Moon and beyond. In this role, you will lead interdisciplinary optimization for your assigned program, serving as the customer-facing technical point of contact throughout the full mission lifecycle.
Based at the Cedar Park headquarters, this position requires regular presence at the Production and Test facility in Briggs, TX and periodic travel to launch sites in Vandenberg, CA and Wallops Island, VA.
Key Responsibilities
- Define vehicle-level architecture, capabilities, specifications, operations, and interdisciplinary optimization in alignment with Firefly objectives
- Conduct, evaluate, and lead system-level trades to drive innovation in vehicle design and functionality
- Analyze and optimize mass, performance, power, and data budgets
- Chair vehicle-level design and milestone reviews, holding the team to Firefly and program standards
- Own the technical risk posture for assigned program and missions as the authority for vehicle risk
- Reduce system vulnerabilities through root cause investigation, change management, corrective action, and risk mitigation plans
- Review and validate designs, work instructions, nonconformances, test plans, and test procedures across sub-systems
- Manage program risks by identifying, mitigating, and tracking potential technical issues
- Provide real-time support for integrated test and launch operations, resolving live anomalies during mission operations
- Lead interdisciplinary efforts with Business Development, Engineering, Program Management, and Operations
- Collaborate with Production, Integration, and Quality Assurance departments
- Act as the primary technical point of contact for customers, vendors, and program partners across the full lifecycle
- Represent Firefly at conferences, reviews, and investor meetings
- Lead Mission Readiness and Data Reviews
- Provide technical mentorship to the Chief Engineering team
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or related discipline (computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry)
- 5+ years of hands-on experience with engineering problem solving in design, analysis, test, or operations of launch vehicle and/or spacecraft systems
- Demonstrated ability to apply engineering fundamentals with strong understanding of interdisciplinary system interactions
- Ability to travel approximately 10% of the time, with higher percentages in support of launch campaigns
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing
- Flexibility regarding workflow and process
- Excellent organization skills and ability to work with a team
Desired Qualifications
- Master's or PhD degree in engineering or related discipline
- 8+ years of professional, hands-on experience in aerospace engineering (design, analysis, manufacturing, test, or operations at vehicle-level)
- Demonstrated competency with engineering design configuration, risk management, and change management
- Ability to anticipate impacts of vehicle-level changes to launch vehicle and/or spacecraft systems
- Experience as primary technical authority over a full launch service lifecycle
- On-console test experience or support of launch vehicle and/or spacecraft system operations
- Experience with real-time troubleshooting and anomaly resolution in high-stakes environments
- Comprehensive understanding of aerospace manufacturing processes, materials, and specifications
- Knowledge of regulatory requirements and industry standards such as Range Safety, AS9100, and SMC Standards
- Experience with Atlassian products (Confluence, Jira, Bitbucket), Teamcenter, Epsilon3, and/or Odoo
- TS/SCI security clearance or ability to obtain one
Employment Details
Firefly offers outstanding benefits including health, dental and vision plans with low deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short-term disability, and flexible PTO options.
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 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 eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.