Director, Launch Site

Firefly Aerospace; California, Northern (MO, KY); Hybrid; USD 195,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Short-term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace seeks a highly motivated leader to shepherd the Vandenberg Launch Operations and Facilities team through each launch cycle. You will guide cross-disciplinary teams to solve complex technical problems and present to customers and range personnel to meet external requirements.

The role focuses on leading launch campaigns, ensuring documentation and tools are updated, and managing budgets and schedules for each flight, with a strong emphasis on safety and operational discipline.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Project Engineering or Aircraft Operations (military or operations experience may meet desire).
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary engineering and operations teams.
• 5+ years of experience in aerospace leadership across complex systems.
• Strong communication skills in technical work environments.
• Experience with Atlassian products like Confluence & Jira.
• 5+ yrs running console operations for integrated vehicle and pad operations.
• Familiarity with version control systems like SVN, Bitbucket.
• Experience in development and/or operations of launch vehicles.
• USG and Commercial launch proposal support.
• Familiarity with AFSPCMAN 91-710, RCC 319/324.

Responsibilities

• Direct launch campaigns from pre-vehicle arrival to on-pad launch operations.
• Lead daily team standups for vehicle and pad campaigns.
• Manage pad maintenance to maximize availability and reduce costs.
• Identify ways to cut launch campaign durations and scope.
• Ensure procedures and tools are updated for upgrades.
• Develop weekly rhythm for pad maintenance and updates.
• Coordinate with program teams to build Integrated Master Schedule.
• Lead schedule reviews with program managers and leadership.
• Develop budgets to meet launch cadences and upgrades.
• Participate in hiring for launch operations and facilities teams.
• Coordinate with Safety Teams to guarantee deliverables and reviews.
• Coordinate with base Operations teams for each mission.
• Ensure all documents, contracts, and items are in place for campaigns.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Aerospace experience

Team management

Confluence/Jira

Console operations

Python/LabVIEW/Matlab

Documentation practices

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations

Tools

SVN/Bitbucket

Job description

Career Opportunities with Firefly Aerospace

Come be a part of the 21 st Century Space Race!

Careers At Firefly Aerospace

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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.

SUMMARY

Firefly seeks a highly motivated leader to shepherd our fast-paced Vandenberg Launch Operations and Facilities team through each launch cycle. A successful candidate enjoys leading multi-disciplinary teams to deep dive technical problems and is comfortable attending to customer/range presentations to ensure all external needs our met. Launch Operations are the last step in any launch vehicle value stream and require precision in every operation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Direct launch campaigns from pre-vehicle arrival pad preparations, integrated vehicle checkouts and on-pad launch operations
• Lead daily tagups for vehicle and pad campaign operations to ensure pad and vehicle work is on track.
• Manage pad preventative maintenance team to maximize pad availability and reduce operational costs
• Identify opportunities to reduce launch campaign durations and scope
• Work with vehicle and operations teams to ensure all relevant procedures, documentation and tools are updated for vehicle or site upgrades
• Develop weekly operating rhythm to ensure pad maintenance, repairs and updates are on track to complete prior to vehicle arrival
• Work with program team to develop Integrated Master Schedule for the vehicle and pad operations for each flight
• Lead intermittent schedule status reviews with the Program Managers and executive leadership showing progress, forecast and schedule metrics
• Develop financial and resource budgets to meet program directed launch cadences and upgrades
• Participate or lead hiring activities for the launch operations and facility team members
• Coordinate with SLD/30 Safety Teams to guarantee deliverables, reviews and support for each mission
• Coordinate with on base Operations teams 2ROPS, 2SLS etc for each mission
• Ensure that all documentation, coordination, contracts, commodities and other required items are established and in place for each launch campaign

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Project Engineering or Aircraft Operations (equivalent military or operations experience may meet desire)
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary engineering and operations teams
• 5+ years of experience in aerospace leadership across complex systems
• Strong communication skills in technical work environments
• Experience with Atlassian products like Confluence & Jira
• 5+ yrs running console operations for integrated vehicle and pad operations
• Familiarity with version control systems like SVN, Bitbucket, etc
• Prior launch vehicle operations at test or launch facilities
• Working knowledge of data viewing tools in Python, LabView, Matlab, etc
• Experience in development and/or operations of launch vehicles
• USG and Commercial launch proposal support
• Familiarity with AFSPCMAN 91-710, RCC 319/324

Compensation: $195,000-240,000/year

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 U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) 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.

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 origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.