Propulsion Engineer III (Spacecraft Fluids)

Job Description

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 As the partner of choice for critical space missions Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24 hour notice and the first company to achieve a successful Moon landing 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 Fireflys 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 Blue Ghost and Elytra spacecraft fluid 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 Fluid Systems Engineers have 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 Fireflys mission RESPONSIBILITIES Demonstrate full ownership of spacecraft fluid system requirements design and analysis from concept through flightLead development of innovative design concepts for propulsion integration and operations that reduce complexity and maximize reliability within program constraintsServe as the primary technical point of contact for all spacecraft fluid systemsAuthor and present detailed design review presentations to internal and external stakeholdersPlan coordinate and execute development qualification and acceptance testing of flight hardware including data analysis and reviewsImplement design for manufacturability improvements to increase production efficiency and vehicle reliabilityIdentify system level risks perform trade studies and drive decisions to ensure successful vehicle operationDevelop and maintain automation tools and test data analysis capabilitiesSupport vehicle test and flight campaigns by providing console operations supportCollaborate with manufacturing and integration teams to develop processes work instructions and test procedures and provide direct build supportDrive development of efficient test and flight operations for fluid systems and assist with troubleshooting during vehicle operations QUALIFICATIONS Required BS in Mechanical Aerospace or related engineering discipline8 years of experience in fluid systems engineering andor propulsionThorough understanding of fluid dynamics and thermodynamicsExperience with tube or pipe design and layoutProficiency in modeling and analysis tools eg CAD FEA CFD MATLAB PythonDeep knowledge of engineering fundamentals and a demonstrated history of applying first principles to arrive at simple robust solutionsExcellent problem solving communication and technical writing skillsHands on experience with hardware design fabrication and testingWorking knowledge of manufacturing fabrication integration and quality control relevant to fluid components such as machining inspection assembly testing etcKnowledge of fluid components such as valves regulators pressure transducers tubing pressurized hardware seals and instrumentation and experience performing fluid systems sizing analysis with such componentsAbility to rapidly develop solutions with partially defined or evolving requirementsDesired Qualifications Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering Aerospace Engineering or equivalent field10 years of experience developing launch vehicle or spacecraft propulsion systemsKnowledge of material selection and best practices for hypergolic systemsExperience with fluid system subcomponent or pressurized component development design or testing such as valves regulators piping systems pumps etcExperience in working with data acquisition systems and test instrumentation including pressure transducers thermocouples resistance temperature detectors RTDs flow meters load cells and accelerometersExperience conducting tubingpiping flexibility analysis using software packages such as Ansys Caesar II Bentley Autopipe etcExperience reducing the complexity of large integrated assemblies to reduce part count cost and lead timeDemonstrated experience with full hardware lifecycle ownership from blank sheet design through full operation Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees including generous health dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles parental leave educational reimbursement short term disability and flexible PTO options To conform to US Government space technology export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations ITAR you must be a US citizen lawful permanent resident of the US protected individual as defined by 8 USC 1324ba3 or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the US Department of State Firefly Aerospace Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race color religion gender national originethnicity veteran status disability status age sexual orientation gender identity marital status mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status