Launch Operations Manager, Space Systems & Testing

Firefly Aerospace; California; On-site; USD 145,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision plans

Educational reimbursement

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a technical manager to lead propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineers at Vandenberg SLC-2. The role includes personnel leadership, operation, upgrade and maintenance of launch pad systems, and collaboration with design teams and external partners.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in fluids/pneumatic systems and 2+ years of supervisory experience, with strong engineering documentation skills and surface-level regulatory awareness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or related field.
• 5+ years hands-on experience with fluid, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, or test systems.
• 2+ years of personnel management experience.
• Experience designing, building, troubleshooting and operating complex systems in operations or projects.
• Ability to read drawings, P&ID, schematics and test data documents.
• Strong prioritization and initiative in high-pressure environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead operation, maintenance and testing of launch pad fluids and related systems.
• Guide design reviews and coordinate with multidisciplinary teams.
• Oversee onboarding, hiring and training for the launch operations team.
• Ensure system readiness and performance for launch campaigns.
• Develop maintenance strategies to maximize availability and minimize downtime.
• Produce procedures for system operation and vehicle testing.
• Collaborate with external partners and regulatory stakeholders.

Skills

Fluids systems

Pneumatic systems

Electrical systems

Hydraulic systems

Flight hardware

Test operations

Leadership

Launch operations

Education

Bachelor's in mechanical engineering

Aerospace engineering

Tools

Python

LabVIEW

MATLAB

SVN

Bitbucket

Job description

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a technical manager to lead propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineers at Vandenberg SLC-2. The role includes personnel leadership, operation, upgrade and maintenance of launch pad systems, and collaboration with design teams and external partners.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in fluids/pneumatic systems and 2+ years of supervisory experience, with strong engineering documentation skills and surface-level regulatory awareness.