Instrumentation & Controls Manager Engineering GSE 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.

Team Leadership & Management

• Lead and mentor a team of up to 10 engineers as they design, implement, and troubleshoot modern instrumentation and control systems for ground systems of 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 a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement by challenging hardware and software norms and developing more effective workspaces and tools
• Define and manage project definition, 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, automated test equipment (ATE), data acquisition systems, signal conditioning, control panels, junction panels, vehicle umbilical and quick disconnect systems, and sensor integration (thermocouples, RTDs, strain gauges, pressure transducers)
• Review and approve instrumentation and control system drawing packages including control and I/O diagrams, instrument and control cable schedules, instrument loop diagrams, and junction box and control panel wiring diagrams
• Diagnose and resolve complex electrical problems in integration, test, and launch systems
• Support test execution and troubleshooting and validate functional testing configurations
• Review and analyze test data to ensure the highest quality 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 complex construction projects (new test stands, launch sites, vehicle transport systems), 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)
• Excellent communication, planning, and organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability and desire to work with interdisciplinary teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Spacecraft or launch vehicle test and validation experience
• Experience with launch site operations and GSE deployment
• Experience programming PLCs or 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
• Experience managing vendor relationships and external contractors

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, 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.