Flight Dynamics Engineer III (Trajectory), Spacecraft

Firefly Aerospace; Cedar Park, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision plans

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace in Cedar Park, Texas, is seeking a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer to design and optimize spacecraft trajectories for LEO and cislunar missions. You will develop targeting algorithms, error budgets, and act as a flight dynamics operator while supporting cross‑functional teams.

Ideal candidates will have advanced degrees in aerospace fields, deep expertise in orbital mechanics, and extensive experience with trajectory design tools (STK/GMAT/FreeFlyer).

Qualifications

• For this Senior role, a strong background in flight dynamics and mission design is required.
• Experience supporting operational spacecraft missions and maneuver planning.
• Proficiency with Python, Linux, and key trajectory tools.

Responsibilities

• Optimize spacecraft trajectories to meet mission requirements and constraints.
• Design mission concepts from concept to operations.
• Develop targeting algorithms and maneuver plans.
• Create and analyze maneuver error budgets and contingencies.
• Mentor junior engineers and guide cross‑functional teams.

Skills

Aerospace engineering

Flight dynamics

Python

Linux

Trajectory design

Maneuver planning

STK/GMAT/FreeFlyer

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's in aerospace engineering

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

STK

FreeFlyer

GMAT

MONTE

Job description

Career Opportunities with 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

As a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer specializing in trajectory and maneuver design at Firefly Aerospace, you will design and optimize spacecraft trajectories and maneuver sequences for operational missions spanning LEO and cislunar space. In this role, you will develop targeting algorithms, create error budgets, and serve as a flight dynamics operator while collaborating with cross‑functional teams to translate mission designs into executable operations. This position combines advanced mission design with hands‑on operational support while mentoring junior engineers in a fast‑paced, mission‑critical environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Optimize spacecraft trajectories to satisfy mission requirements while balancing delta‑V budgets, mission duration, and payload constraints
• Design and maintain mission designs from the conceptual phase through the end of spacecraft mission operations
• Develop algorithms to target maneuvers that achieve spacecraft mission objectives
• Create maneuver error budgets and perform sensitivity analysis to assess robustness to execution uncertainties
• Formulate and analyze contingency maneuver plans and abort scenarios for off‑nominal conditions
• Interface with cross‑discipline teams to translate maneuver plans into executable command sequences and operational procedures
• Serve as a flight dynamics operator for spacecraft missions and perform maneuver reconstruction to improve spacecraft models
• Perform verification and validation of flight dynamics models and software using analytical solutions, benchmarks, flight data, and unit tests
• Author technical documentation and analysis reports that communicate flight dynamics concepts and results to diverse audiences

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field
• 5-8 years of experience in spacecraft flight dynamics with significant depth in mission design or maneuver planning
• Experience supporting operational spacecraft missions through multiple mission phases
• Advanced understanding of orbital mechanics theory and applications
• Understanding of spacecraft attitude control and its impact on maneuver execution accuracy
• Strong understanding of targeting and optimization methods
• Knowledge of estimation theory and uncertainty modeling
• Experience in software development and modeling/simulation for spaceflight applications
• Working knowledge of Python and Linux
• Proficiency with one or more commercial trajectory design software tools (STK, FreeFlyer, GMAT, or similar)
• Advanced degree (master's or PhD) in aerospace engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field
• Expert-level proficiency in STK for spacecraft trajectory design
• Python proficiency and experience with JPL's MONTE software suite
• Software engineering expertise including skills in version control (Git), code review, automated testing, documentation, and CI/CD workflows
• Comprehensive knowledge of spacecraft subsystems and their impact on trajectory design and maneuver planning
• Proven ability to mentor and develop junior engineers while managing technical responsibilities

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