Ground Software Manager, Spacecraft

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.

Austin, Northern (TX, KY)

Hybrid

USD 180,000 - 260,000

Full time

45 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Sabbatical

Health benefits

Mental health services

Military leave

Maternity leave

Spouse leave

Family planning assistance

Dog-friendly workplace

Stock bonuses

401(k) matching

Home purchase bonus

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is seeking a Manager, Spacecraft Ground Software to lead the team that designs, develops, deploys and operates the software enabling Firefly's spacecraft from assembly through launch and on-orbit operations.

You will set the long-term technical vision for the ground software platform, drive architecture across programs, mentor engineers, and ensure secure, scalable mission operations for multi-mission programs.

Qualifications

BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical discipline.
10+ years of experience developing, architecting, or delivering software systems for spacecraft, defense, robotics, or other mission-critical environments.
5+ years of engineering management experience with direct responsibility for technical teams.
Experience designing service-oriented, distributed, or microservice-based software architectures.
Strong cloud-native deployment experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and AWS.
Clear communication across software, systems engineering, operations, IT, and cybersecurity.

Responsibilities

Lead the Spacecraft Ground Software organization in the design and development of software systems supporting spacecraft integration, testing, mission rehearsals, launch campaigns, commissioning, and on-orbit mission operations.
Establish the long-term technical vision and architecture for Firefly's enterprise spacecraft ground software ecosystem.
Build, mentor, and grow a high-performing engineering organization through recruiting, hiring, technical leadership, career development, and performance management.
Drive the evolution of service-oriented and distributed software architectures supporting mission-critical spacecraft operations.
Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams to develop integrated operational solutions and ensure successful mission operations.

Skills

Software engineering leadership

Distributed software systems

Cloud deployments

Communication skills

Mission-critical software

Education

BS in Computer Science or related field

Advanced degree in CS or related

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

AWS

Telemetry pipelines

Job description

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.

As we head into the holiday weekend, we’re proud ...

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What does it take to make a lander space-ready? ...

What’s hotter than a Texas summer? Our Miranda ...

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POV: You`re an intern at an aerospace company.
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Talk about being in the right place at the right ...

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.

Accountability

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

Space for Your Family

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

Space for Your Future

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 Manager, Spacecraft Ground Software at Firefly Aerospace, you will lead the organization responsible for designing, developing, deploying, and operating the software systems that enable Firefly's spacecraft throughout assembly, integration and test, launch, and on-orbit mission operations. You will establish the long-term technical vision for Firefly's spacecraft ground segment software suite while managing the engineering organization responsible for spacecraft command and control, mission operations software, telemetry processing, mission planning, data processing pipelines, operator interfaces, and the software platforms that enable mission operations.

This role combines organizational leadership with deep technical systems expertise. You will serve as the primary technical authority for Firefly's enterprise spacecraft ground software architecture, driving the evolution of a common, scalable ground software platform that supports multiple spacecraft programs, customers, and mission types. You will lead a growing engineering organization responsible for delivering highly reliable mission-critical software supporting lunar missions, national security programs, and future exploration initiatives.

Working closely with spacecraft operations, flight software, systems engineering, assembly, integration and test (AI&T), IT infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and enterprise engineering teams, you will ensure Firefly's spacecraft ground software suite provides secure, scalable, and operationally robust capabilities throughout every phase of a mission—from vehicle integration and testing through launch, on-orbit operations, and mission completion.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead the Spacecraft Ground Software organization in the design and development of software systems supporting spacecraft integration, testing, mission rehearsals, launch campaigns, commissioning, and on-orbit mission operations.
Establish the long-term technical vision and architecture for Firefly's enterprise spacecraft ground software ecosystem.
Build, mentor, and grow a high-performing engineering organization through recruiting, hiring, technical leadership, career development, and performance management.
Drive the evolution of service-oriented and distributed software architectures supporting mission-critical spacecraft operations.
Drive architectural standardization and reusable software platforms across Firefly spacecraft programs to reduce mission-specific development and improve operational consistency.
Partner with spacecraft operations, flight software, systems engineering, AI&T, IT infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and enterprise engineering teams to develop integrated operational solutions.
Oversee execution across the complete software lifecycle, including requirements development, architecture, implementation, verification, validation, deployment, operations, and sustainment.
Lead software systems engineering activities, translating mission concepts and operational requirements into scalable technical architectures and execution plans.
Ensure reliable spacecraft commanding, telemetry processing, mission planning, data processing, visualization, automation, and operator workflows across all spacecraft programs.
Guide deployment strategies spanning development environments, hardware-in-the-loop test beds, integration facilities, mission operations centers, cloud infrastructure, and operational venues.
Establish engineering processes including architecture reviews, design reviews, configuration management, release management, verification, operational readiness, and continuous improvement.
Coordinate closely with mission operations during rehearsals, launch campaigns, anomaly resolution, and real-time spacecraft operations.
Develop technical roadmaps supporting future multi-mission, multi-tenant, highly available, and cloud-enabled ground software architectures.
Foster a culture centered on engineering excellence, operational reliability, mission success, safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical discipline.
10+ years of experience developing, architecting, or delivering software systems supporting spacecraft, aerospace, defense, robotics, or other mission-critical operational environments.
5+ years of engineering management experience with direct responsibility for technical teams.
Strong background in software systems engineering, software architecture, or technical leadership for large distributed software systems.
Experience designing and deploying service-oriented, distributed, or microservice-based software architectures.
Demonstrated experience translating operational concepts into software architectures, interface definitions, technical roadmaps, and execution plans.
Experience managing software programs throughout the complete engineering lifecycle, including requirements development, architecture, verification, validation, deployment, operations, and sustainment.
Strong understanding of cloud-based and on-premises deployment architectures for mission-critical software systems.
Experience collaborating across multidisciplinary organizations including software, systems engineering, operations, IT, and cybersecurity.
Proven ability to recruit, mentor, and develop high-performing engineering teams.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate technical concepts across engineering disciplines, customers, and executive leadership.
Experience supporting national security space programs or classified spacecraft missions.
Experience leading the development or operation of spacecraft ground segments for operational missions.
Experience with mission planning systems, flight dynamics software, spacecraft scheduling, command generation, or mission automation systems.
Experience designing telemetry processing pipelines and transforming raw spacecraft telemetry into derived engineering and science data products.
Familiarity with spacecraft communications protocols and standards including CCSDS telemetry, telecommand, CFDP, SLE, SDLS, or related technologies.
Experience with cloud-native software deployment using Kubernetes, Docker, AWS, or similar technologies.
Experience with high-volume telemetry systems, streaming data platforms, messaging architectures, or time-series databases.
Experience with networking, enterprise identity management, cybersecurity frameworks, and secure deployment of operational software systems.
Experience supporting mission readiness reviews, mission rehearsals, launch campaigns, anomaly investigations, and real-time mission operations.
Advanced degree in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline.
Active security clearance or eligibility to obtain one.

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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