Launch Operations Leader - Propulsion & Systems

Firefly Aerospace; Vandenberg Village (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision plans

Relocation benefits

Educational reimbursement

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, a space and defense technology company, is seeking a technical manager to lead the propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineering teams at Vandenberg SLC-2. You will guide operations, upgrades, and maintenance of launch pad systems while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

The role requires a bachelor's in mechanical or aerospace engineering, 5+ years with fluid and pneumatic systems, 2+ years of people management, and the ability to coordinate

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering.
• 5+ years hands-on experience with fluids/pneumatic systems and related hardware.
• 2+ years of managing personnel.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, P&ID schematics and test data.
• Able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead operation, maintenance and testing of the 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, streamline operations, and validate readiness for launches.
• Support launch pad system and flight vehicle system integrity testing to validate system health and performance.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts and resolve issues during operations/testing and investigations of anomalies.
• Perform launch console operations or launch day close-out activities.
• Write procedures for system operation, maintenance, and vehicle testing operations.
• Develop and execute maintenance strategies that maximize system availability and minimize downtime.

Skills

Leadership

People management

System engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

SVN

Bitbucket

Python

LabVIEW

MATLAB

Job description

Firefly Aerospace, a space and defense technology company, is seeking a technical manager to lead the propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineering teams at Vandenberg SLC-2. You will guide operations, upgrades, and maintenance of launch pad systems while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

The role requires a bachelor's in mechanical or aerospace engineering, 5+ years with fluid and pneumatic systems, 2+ years of people management, and the ability to coordinate