GNC Manager, Spacecraft ADCS

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.

Leander (TX)

On-site

USD 180,000 - 240,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Sabbatical every 5 years

Health, dental and vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

Mental health services

Paid maternity leave

Paid parental leave

Stock bonuses

401(k) match

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. in Texas invites an experienced Spacecraft ADCS Manager to lead a skilled team responsible for attitude determination and control systems across multiple spacecraft programs in LEO and cislunar space.

You will own recruitment, career development, and performance management while guiding budgets, roadmaps, and operational excellence. The role blends hands-on engineering leadership with strategic planning in a fast-paced aerospace environment.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field.
Advanced degree (master's or PhD) in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field.

Responsibilities

Lead an ADCS team supporting multiple spacecraft programs and development efforts.
Set ADCS objectives and communicate priorities to team members and cross-functional stakeholders.
Interface with program managers and mission stakeholders to allocate team responsibilities and establish execution schedules.
Drive ADCS strategy and roadmap development, identifying capability gaps and investment priorities.
Champion continuous improvement initiatives for ADCS processes, tools, and operational efficiency.
Direct daily operations of the team ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical software development, analysis, and operational support.
Develop and manage the ADCS budget and annual operating plan.
Own all aspects of team staffing including hiring, onboarding, and workforce planning.
Conduct performance evaluations and drive career development through mentorship and coaching of engineers at all levels.
Foster a healthy team culture and maintain high morale in a demanding technical and operational environment.

Skills

ADCS expertise

Technical leadership

Excellent communication

Mentorship & coaching

Budget planning

Staffing & workforce planning

Python

C++

Linux

Strategic roadmaps

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering or related field

Master's or PhD in related field

Tools

C++

Python

Linux

Job description

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Life at Firefly

At Firefly, we’re focused on making space attainable for everyone – including you! Each team member’s passion, dedication, and innovative ideas have a direct impact on fueling our successful trajectory into space. And there’s no shortage of meaningful projects to work on at Firefly. With launch, lunar, and orbital vehicles, Firefly has a diverse line of business with opportunities to get hands‑on experience launching rockets, operating in space, and landing on the Moon.

On this day 57 years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz ...

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Take a manufacturing minute with Firefly Soft ...

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Our Values

Headquartered in the Lone Star State, Firefly’s hardworking team reflects Texas’ GO BIG culture in everything we do. We build big, achieve big, and dream big. We’re building launch vehicles and spacecraft to provide rapid, reliable space access. We’ve achieved some incredible wins, including the first successful commercial Moon landing. And we’re dreaming bigger than this planet with ambitions to Mars, Venus, and beyond. Our core values are what drive us along the way.

Passion

Fireflies believe in perseverance, responsiveness, and mentoring others with a focus on inspiring a better future.

Fireflies act with integrity and take ownership of our actions, commitments, decisions, and outcomes.

Fireflies work in alignment across teams and communicate clearly with mutual respect for one another.

Fireflies deliver high-quality work through technical rigor and timely disciplined execution for our customers.

We take care of our Fireflies with some of the best benefits in the industry. Our mission to make space for everyone starts with our employees and allowing them to make space for their family, their career, and their future.

Space for You

Unlimited PTO for exempt employees
3-month sabbatical for every 5 years of service
Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
Mental health services
Paid military leave
12 weeks paid maternity leave
4 weeks paid spouse leave
$20k towards family planning: fertility, surrogacy, adoption
Dog friendly workplace

Space for Your Career

$10k/year towards trade school or college
Ongoing coaching to advance leadership skills
Employee-ownership with stock bonuses
4% Safe Harbor 401(k) matching
$10k bonus for home purchase in Cedar Park, Texas

Job Openings

From launch technicians to propulsion engineers, Firefly has open roles across the company. We’re looking for passionate, bright innovators to join our team and help make space an achievable dream for everyone.

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 the Spacecraft ADCS Manager at Firefly Aerospace, you will lead a technical team supporting attitude control system design, analysis, and flight operations for spacecraft in LEO and cislunar space. In this role, you will own all aspects of team leadership including recruitment, career development, and performance management while driving strategic planning, budget management, and operational execution. This position combines technical expertise in spacecraft attitude determination and control with organizational leadership, requiring you to build team capabilities, foster a high-performing culture, and deliver mission-critical support in a fast-paced aerospace environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead an ADCS team supporting multiple spacecraft programs and development efforts
Set ADCS objectives and communicate priorities to team members and cross-functional stakeholders
Interface with program managers and mission stakeholders to allocate team responsibilities and establish execution schedules
Drive ADCS strategy and roadmap development, identifying capability gaps and investment priorities
Champion continuous improvement initiatives for ADCS processes, tools, and operational efficiency
Direct daily operations of the team ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical software development, analysis, and operational support
Develop and manage the ADCS budget and annual operating plan
Own all aspects of team staffing including hiring, onboarding, and workforce planning
Conduct performance evaluations and drive career development through mentorship and coaching of engineers at all levels
Foster a healthy team culture and maintain high morale in a demanding technical and operational environment

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field
10+ years of experience in spacecraft ADCS with demonstrated expertise across guidance, navigation, and control system design
5+ years of technical leadership experience including directing the work of other engineers and technical staff
Demonstrated experience supporting operational spacecraft missions through multiple mission phases
Demonstrated success building team capabilities through mentorship, training, and career development
Experience managing team budgets, resource planning, and workforce forecasting
Experience establishing technical standards, processes, and best practices for ADCS organizations
Excellent communication skills with ability to convey complex technical concepts to executives, customers, and non-technical stakeholders
Ability to foster a collaborative team culture while meeting demanding mission schedules
Advanced degree (master's or PhD) in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field
Knowledge of spacecraft subsystems and their impact on attitude control system design and performance
Proven ability to recruit, hire, develop, and retain high-performing technical talent
Experience with Python and Linux
Proficiency in real-time software development using C++ for mission-critical applications
Experience developing strategic vision, technical roadmaps, and upgrade initiatives for ADCS teams
Experience leading or supporting anomaly investigations and resolving critical mission issues

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.

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