Aerospace Composites Manufacturing Engineer III

Firefly Aerospace; Bertram (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision plans

Parental leave

Relocation benefits

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace in Austin, TX, seeks a highly skilled Manufacturing Engineer to join the Structures Department. You will lead tooling and fixture development for aerospace composite components, optimize processes, and drive continuous improvement across production programs.

Responsibilities include designing tooling, evaluating processes, mentoring engineers, and coordinating with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to deliver high‑quality parts on schedule.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• 10 years’ experience in carbon fiber composite aerospace manufacturing.
• Proficiency in CAD software for tooling/fixturing designs.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Six Sigma or Lean manufacturing knowledge is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of tooling, fixtures, and production equipment for aerospace composite components.
• Continuously evaluate and enhance manufacturing processes, tooling, and fixtures to optimize efficiency, quality, and cost.
• Take ownership of hardware development and production processes, ensuring adherence to schedules and driving improvements.
• Develop and implement innovative tooling/fixturing solutions to enhance efficiency and quality.
• Act as primary point of contact for part expertise and guide fabrication considerations.
• Support manufacturing floor operations and collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement changes.
• Create detailed work instructions and standardize manufacturing processes for consistency.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for nonconformances.
• Mentor less experienced engineers and champion Lean/Six Sigma across manufacturing.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and participate in cost reduction initiatives.

Skills

CAD proficiency

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering

Master’s degree is a plus

Tools

Automated Fiber Placement

3D CAD

Lean Six Sigma

Job description

Firefly Aerospace in Austin, TX, seeks a highly skilled Manufacturing Engineer to join the Structures Department. You will lead tooling and fixture development for aerospace composite components, optimize processes, and drive continuous improvement across production programs.

Responsibilities include designing tooling, evaluating processes, mentoring engineers, and coordinating with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to deliver high‑quality parts on schedule.