Composite Manufacturing Engineer II — Tooling Lead

Firefly Aerospace; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision plans

Relocation reimbursement

Flexible PTO options

Educational reimbursement

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to join the Structures Department to help develop tooling and fixtures for the world’s largest liquid-fueled all-composite rocket and implement full-rate production on current programs.

You will lead tooling and fixturing design, drive continuous improvements, optimize processes, and provide technical expertise to enhance our production capabilities while collaborating with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to meet schedule and quality

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5 years in carbon fiber composite aerospace manufacturing.
• Strong technical aptitude and ability to learn complex hardware quickly.
• Proficiency in CAD software for tooling and fixturing.
• Excellent collaboration and communication across teams.
• Track record of driving process improvements in a fast-paced environment.
• 7+ years in aerospace manufacturing/engineering; Master’s a plus.
• Automated Fiber Placement experience; quick-turn composite tooling design.
• Six Sigma or Lean manufacturing Black Belt certification.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of tooling, fixtures, and production equipment for aerospace composites.
• Optimize manufacturing processes to reduce cycle times and costs.
• Own hardware development and production processes, meeting schedules.
• Develop and implement tooling/fixturing to enhance efficiency and quality.
• Act as primary expert for part fabrication knowledge and guidance.
• Support floor operations and drive continuous improvement with cross-functional teams.
• Create detailed work instructions to standardize processes and ensure quality.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for nonconformances.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, and quality teams for smooth production integration.
• Manage and oversee manufacturing programs to meet quality, cost, and schedule.
• Identify and address production challenges to ensure timely delivery.
• Implement and maintain rigorous quality controls per industry standards.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and participate in cost-reduction initiatives.
• Champion Lean and Six Sigma practices across manufacturing processes.
• Mentor junior engineers.

Skills

Carbon fiber composites

CAD software

Communication

Process improvements

Self-motivation

Problem-solving

Aerospace industry experience

Automated Fiber Placement

Composite tooling

Six Sigma

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's degree

Tools

CAD software

Six Sigma tools

Lean manufacturing

Job description

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to join the Structures Department to help develop tooling and fixtures for the world’s largest liquid-fueled all-composite rocket and implement full-rate production on current programs.

You will lead tooling and fixturing design, drive continuous improvements, optimize processes, and provide technical expertise to enhance our production capabilities while collaborating with design, manufacturing, and quality teams to meet schedule and quality