Principal Propulsion Engineer (Liquid Engines) 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.
About the Role
The Alpha Engines team is responsible for the design, integration, and operation of the Reaver and Lightning engines. As Principal Responsible Engineer, you will work across the full lifecycle of hardware, including requirements definition, design, analysis, development, test, and qualification of engine systems. 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.
Responsibilities
- Demonstrate full ownership of launch vehicle engine system hardware from concept to flight
- Serve as the propulsion representative for Alpha engine testing, stage testing, and launch operations
- Author and lead test readiness, launch readiness, and data review presentations
- Continuously build and iterate on tools to optimize efficiency, performance, and predictability of Alpha operations
- Lead development of innovative design concepts for propulsion integration and operations that reduce complexity and maximize reliability
- 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
- 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
- Collaborate with manufacturing and integration teams to develop processes, work instructions, and test procedures, and provide direct build support
Required Qualifications
- B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering discipline
- 8+ years of experience developing launch vehicle propulsion systems
- Experience testing or operating complex engineering systems
- Thorough understanding of fluid dynamics and thermodynamics
- Deep knowledge of engineering fundamentals and 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 (machining, inspection, assembly, testing)
- Knowledge of fluid components such as valves, regulators, pressure transducers, tubing, pressurized hardware, seals, and instrumentation
- Experience performing fluid systems sizing analysis
- Experience developing and formalizing procedures for complex, multistep, high-impact operations
- Proven ability to rapidly develop solutions with partially defined or evolving requirements
Desired Qualifications
- Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent field
- 10+ years of experience developing launch vehicle or spacecraft propulsion systems
- In-depth knowledge of cryogenic, high-pressure, or high-temperature system operations
- Experience with fluid system subcomponent or pressurized component development, design, or testing (valves, regulators, piping systems, pumps)
- Experience with data acquisition systems and test instrumentation including pressure transducers, thermocouples, RTDs, flow meters, load cells, and accelerometers
- Experience reducing 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
Employment Information
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 to conform to ITAR regulations.