Launch Operations Lead — Space Launch Pad & Systems

Firefly Aerospace; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 175,000; 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 is seeking a technical manager to lead the propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineers at Vandenberg SLC-2. The role covers operation, upgrade and maintenance of launch pad systems and requires extensive hands-on experience in launch environments.

The ideal candidate has a mechanical or aerospace engineering background, 5+ years in fluids/pneumatic systems and 2+ years in leadership, with proficiency in data tools like Python and LabVIEW.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or related field.
• 5+ years hands-on experience with fluids, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical systems, tooling, flight hardware or test operations.
• 2+ years of managing personnel.
• 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 setting.
• Experience with launch vehicle operations in test or launch facilities.
• Familiarity with Python, LabVIEW, Matlab data viewing tools.
• USG and Commercial launch proposal support.

Responsibilities

• Lead operation, maintenance and testing of launch pad fluids, pneumatic mechanical and electrical systems.
• Facilitate hiring, training, and onboarding activities for the launch operations engineering team.
• Guide design reviews and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to drive system upgrades and validate readiness for launch campaigns.
• Support launch pad system and flight vehicle system integrity testing for launch readiness.
• Lead troubleshooting, resolve issues and non-conformances during operations and testing.
• Perform launch console operations or launch day close-out activities.
• Write procedures for system operation, maintenance and vehicle testing operations.
• Develop maintenance strategies to maximize system availability and minimize downtime.
• Collaborate with customers and external stakeholders to ensure regulatory compliance and safety.

Skills

Fluids systems

Electrical systems

Mechanical engineering

Project management

Leadership

Python

LabVIEW

P&ID schematics

Data analysis

Launch operations

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical/aerospace engineering

Tools

SVN

Bitbucket

Job description

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a technical manager to lead the propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineers at Vandenberg SLC-2. The role covers operation, upgrade and maintenance of launch pad systems and requires extensive hands-on experience in launch environments.

The ideal candidate has a mechanical or aerospace engineering background, 5+ years in fluids/pneumatic systems and 2+ years in leadership, with proficiency in data tools like Python and LabVIEW.