Fluids GSE Design Engineer III 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 company to achieve a successful Moon landing.

The Role

As a Fluids Ground Support Equipment (FGSE) Design Engineer, you will develop Firefly's next generation of launch sites, test stands, and production equipment supporting the entire fleet of launch vehicles and spacecraft. You will work in small collaborative groups on fluid system design, installation, maintenance, and operation across multiple facilities, including preliminary and detailed design, installation, startup support, system baselining, performance analysis, and recommending upgrades.

Key Responsibilities

• Design ground fluid systems: develop P&IDs, perform tube and pipe sizing calculations for cryogenic, multiphase, compressible and incompressible fluids, specify valves, fittings and components, design critical safety equipment, establish control philosophy for system modifications, and specify pipe and equipment coating and insulation.
• Manage fabrication, installation, checkout, and operation of these systems.
• Coordinate and plan fabrication and construction with GSE technician teams, providing P&IDs, dimensional drawings, work instructions, scheduling, and incorporating technician feedback into design.
• Provide on-the-ground support and direction to build teams.
• Maintain understanding of relevant requirements, engineering codes and piping standards including launch range requirements and ASME B31.1, ASME B31.3, ANSI, API, and applicable NFPA standards.
• Participate in and lead internal design reviews and operations readiness reviews, and represent Firefly during external design reviews.
• Perform activation testing: determine test objectives and requirements, write detailed procedures with focus on safety, execute test plans, and coordinate with other teams.
• Maintain and upgrade fluid systems, including developing preventative maintenance plans.
• Troubleshoot fluid systems for nonconformances using the company's nonconformance reporting system.
• Travel to test and launch sites as required to support company objectives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or related engineering discipline
• Strong understanding of first-principles in fluids, heat transfer, and thermodynamics
• Direct experience with design and build of ground systems (GSE) or related fluid systems including test environments, fluid or gas conditioning and storage, manufacturing processes, and compressible gases
• Ability to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment
• Ability to self-motivate and take initiative to ensure systems are functional and operating at peak performance
• Willingness and enthusiasm to take extreme ownership over large or complex systems
• Experience in an aerospace, R&D, or oil and gas environment
• Capability to balance detailed design tasks with higher-level project management tasks including budgeting, scheduling, and communications
• Capacity to organize, communicate, and lead in a multidisciplinary environment
• 5+ years of recent professional experience with fluid systems, pneumatics, hydraulics or HVAC systems in a design, assembly, test, or operations capacity
• Willingness to travel in support of GSE build and activation 30% of the time
• Cryogenic system design and/or operational experience

Desired Qualifications

• Experience or familiarity with building or operating distributed control systems (instrumentation, data acquisition, DCS, SCADA)
• Strong 3D CAD experience, preferably in Siemens NX and Teamcenter
• Experience developing test and operational procedures
• Familiarity with ASME, NASA, and SSCMAN standards related to fluid system design
• 7+ years of recent professional experience with fluid systems, pneumatics, hydraulics or HVAC systems in a design, assembly, test, or operations capacity
• Hands-on experience building, troubleshooting, and operating complex fluid or mechanical systems

Benefits

Firefly offers generous health, dental and vision plans with low deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short-term disability, and flexible PTO options.

Export Compliance

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.