Instrumentation & Controls Manager Engineering GSE

Firefly Aerospace; Briggs (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision plans

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Flexible PTO options

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Technical Leader in Briggs, Texas to head a team of engineers in the design and development of advanced ground systems for space launch vehicles. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering and at least 5 years of experience in testing and integration. This role includes overseeing interdisciplinary projects and ensuring compliance with aerospace standards. Exceptional benefits and career growth opportunities are available.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in integration and/or testing of process control systems.
• Minimum 2 years of direct management or team leadership experience.
• Strong electrical fundamentals with hands‐on experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of engineers on instrumentation and control systems.
• Oversee design, development, and testing of GSE control systems.
• Coordinate with teams on project requirements and manage budgets.

Skills

Leadership

Electrical Engineering

Integration Testing

Communication

Team Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

DMMs

Oscilloscopes

LabVIEW

PLC/FPGAs programming

Job description

About Firefly

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space - anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24‑hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Management

• Lead & mentor a team of up to 10 engineers as they design, implement, and troubleshoot modern instrumentation and control systems for the ground systems of tomorrow’s launch vehicles and spacecraft.
• Recruit, develop, and retain top engineering talent with passion for advancing space access.
• Set clear goals, provide regular feedback, align individual development with company targets, conduct performance reviews, and nurture a healthy and challenging team culture.
• Inspire and nurture a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement by challenging hardware and software norms and developing more effective workspaces & tools.
• Define and manage project definition, project milestones, hand‑off, and resource allocation forecasts.

Technical Leadership

• Oversee the design, development, testing, and deployment of GSE control and instrumentation systems including:
  • Functional test systems and automated test equipment (ATE)
  • Data acquisition systems and signal conditioning
  • Control panels, junction panels, and vehicle umbilical/quick disconnect systems
  • Sensor integration (thermocouples, RTDs, strain gauges, pressure transducers, etc.) for development
• Review & approve instrumentation and control system drawing packages including, but not limited to:
  • Control & I/O diagrams
  • Instrument and control cable schedules
  • Instrument Loop Diagrams
  • Junction box and control panel wiring diagrams
• Diagnose and resolve complex electrical problems in Integration, Test, and Launch systems.
• Support Test execution/troubleshooting and validate functional testing configurations.
• Review & analyze test data to ensure the highest quality test data and accuracy.
• Ensure compliance with aerospace quality standards, safety requirements, and local regulations.

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate and manage relationships with interdisciplinary teams to set project requirements, coordinate on complex construction projects (new Test Stands, Launch Sites, vehicle transport systems, etc.), manage scope creep, and balance technical rigor with program urgency.
• Manage capital budgets for Ground Support projects.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in integration and/or testing of process control systems, spacecraft test equipment, or launch systems.
• Minimum 2 years of direct management experience or team leadership experience.
• Strong electrical fundamentals with hands‑on experience using DMMs, power supplies, oscilloscopes, and small ADC/DAC circuits.
• Working knowledge of common electrical sensors (thermocouples, RTDs, strain gauges, pressure transducers, encoders, load cells, etc.).
• Excellent communication, planning, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability and desire to work with interdisciplinary teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Spacecraft / Launch Vehicle test and validation experience.
• Experience with launch site operations and GSE deployment.
• Experience programming PLCs/FPGAs.
• Experience programming and implementing HMIs (human machine interfaces).
• Proficiency with motion controllers, signal conditioners, or data acquisition systems (National Instruments, etc.).
• Ability to write and simulate automated testing scripts in LabVIEW, Python, or similar.
• Familiarity with MIL‑STD specifications and aerospace quality standards (AS9100, NASA).
• A balanced sense of urgency and risk management style to handle interdisciplinary conflicts as they arise.
• Experience managing vendor relationships and external contractors.

Benefits

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.