Launch Engineer III (Fluids Mechanical)

Firefly Aerospace; California; On-site; USD 94,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision plans

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Pet Insurance

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace in Austin, TX, is hiring an entry‑level Launch Engineer I to support the launch pad fluids and pneumatic systems. You will work closely with senior engineers, perform maintenance and testing, and grow into ownership of system segments through hands‑on experience.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in mechanical or aerospace engineering and 0–2 years of related experience. You’ll contribute to successful launch operations and learn to design, test, and improve propulsion support

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or related field.
• 0–2 years hands-on experience with fluids/pneumatic/hydraulic systems.
• Experience designing, building, troubleshooting or operating complex fluid/pneumatic systems.

Responsibilities

• Assist senior fluids engineers in operation, maintenance and testing of launch pad fluids and pneumatic systems.
• Collaborate with design engineers, technicians and external partners to drive system upgrades and validate readiness for launch campaigns.
• Support system integrity testing and readiness validation for launch campaigns.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts and support anomaly investigations during operations.

Skills

Mechanical systems

Pneumatic systems

Hydraulic systems

Engineering documentation

High-pressure environments

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

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

The Launch team is hiring for high-impact, dynamic engineering positions for those who thrive on solving real problems in diverse environments. We are looking for a propulsion and fluids systems engineer to join the team responsible for all aspects of the launch pad propellant and pneumatic systems. This position will grow in responsibility to take ownership of a segment of these systems in all aspects of operation, maintenance, testing and upgrades. This position will validate and execute the performance of these systems during launch operations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• This is an entry level position that will assist the senior fluids engineers in the operation, maintenance and testing of the launch pad fluids and pneumatic systems. This position will grow in scope and responsibility as the candidate obtains hands‑on experience with all aspects of launch pad operations.
• Participate in design reviews and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams — including design engineers, technicians, external partners, and site personnel — to drive fluids system upgrades, streamline operations, and validate system readiness and performance for launch campaigns.
• Support launch pad system and flight vehicle system integrity testing to validate system health, performance and readiness for launch campaigns.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts, resolve any issues and non‑conformances that arise during operations/testing, and support anomaly investigations
• Opportunities to perform launch console operations or launch day close out team activities
• Write procedures for system operation, maintenance, and vehicle testing operations.
• Develop and execute maintenance strategies that maximize system availability and minimize downtime between missions.
• Collaborate with customers, external stakeholders, and design teams to ensure interoperability and compliance with regulatory and range safety requirements.
• Provide technical write‑ups for systems upgrade proposals or tailoring of regulations.
• Ability to work with Fluids and Mechanical GSE team members with limited supervision to achieve project or testing objectives. Write work instructions and supervise the execution of field work in service of the launch pad fluid and pneumatic systems.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or related engineering discipline
• 0 - 2 years of hands‑on experience with fluids systems, pneumatic systems, mechanisms, hydraulic systems, tooling, flight hardware or test operations
• Experience designing, building, troubleshooting and/or operating complex fluid or pneumatic systems in an operational or project environment.
• Ability to create and interpret engineering documentation including drawings, P&ID schematics and test data.
• Able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high pressure fast‑paced environment
• Ability to self‑motivate and take the initiative to ensure your systems are functional and operating at peak performance
• Ability to adapt to shifting project and/or scope change requirements
• Ability to convey complex technical information clearly and concisely to technical and non‑technical audiences
• Comfortable working in launch site environments with field testing, lifting equipment, and hazardous materials

Launch Engineer I - $93,950.00 - $107,000.00

• 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, pet Insurance, 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.