Launch Operations Manager, VSFB

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.

California

On-site

USD 145,000 - 175,000

Full time

16 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Dental plan

Vision plan

Parental leave

Relocation help

Educational reimbursement

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is seeking a technical manager to lead propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineers at Vandenberg SLC-2.

You will oversee operations, maintenance, testing, and upgrades for launch pad systems and related vehicle hardware, ensuring readiness for high-stakes campaigns. The role requires 5+ years in fluids/packaged systems, 2+ years of people leadership, strong documentation skills, and the ability to work in a fast-paced launch environment.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or related field.
5+ years hands-on experience with fluids, pneumatics, mechanisms, hydraulics, 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.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings, P&ID schematics and test data.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Fluid systems

Electrical systems

Pneumatic systems

Mechanical systems

Flight hardware

Test operations

People management

Engineering documentation

Launch operations

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Aerospace engineering

Tools

SVN

Bitbucket

Python

LabView

MATLAB

Job description

At Firefly, we’re focused on making space attainable for everyone – including you! Each team member’s passion, dedication, and innovative ideas have a direct impact on fueling our successful trajectory into space. And there’s no shortage of meaningful projects to work on at Firefly. With launch, lunar, and orbital vehicles, Firefly has a diverse line of business with opportunities to get hands‑on experience launching rockets, operating in space, and landing on the Moon.

Our missions are powered by our incredible team ...

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What does SciTec bring to the Firefly family?
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The engine powering Alpha`s first stage is truly ...

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Our Values

Headquartered in the Lone Star State, Firefly’s hardworking team reflects Texas’ GO BIG culture in everything we do. We build big, achieve big, and dream big. We’re building launch vehicles and spacecraft to provide rapid, reliable space access. We’ve achieved some incredible wins, including the first successful commercial Moon landing. And we’re dreaming bigger than this planet with ambitions to Mars, Venus, and beyond. Our core values are what drive us along the way.

Passion

Fireflies believe in perseverance, responsiveness, and mentoring others with a focus on inspiring a better future.

Accountability

Fireflies act with integrity and take ownership of our actions, commitments, decisions, and outcomes.

Fireflies work in alignment across teams and communicate clearly with mutual respect for one another.

Fireflies deliver high-quality work through technical rigor and timely disciplined execution for our customers.

We take care of our Fireflies with some of the best benefits in the industry. Our mission to make space for everyone starts with our employees and allowing them to make space for their family, their career, and their future.

Space for You

Unlimited PTO for exempt employees
3-month sabbatical for every 5 years of service
Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
Mental health services
Paid military leave

Space for Your Family

12 weeks paid maternity leave
4 weeks paid spouse leave
$20k towards family planning: fertility, surrogacy, adoption
Dog friendly workplace

Space for Your Career

$10k/year towards trade school or college
Ongoing coaching to advance leadership skills
- Employee-ownership with stock bonuses
- 4% Safe Harbor 401(k) matching
- $10k bonus for home purchase in Cedar Park, Texas

Job Openings

From launch technicians to propulsion engineers, Firefly has open roles across the company. We’re looking for passionate, bright innovators to join our team and help make space an achievable dream for everyone.

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.

SUMMARY

Firefly' Launch team is hiring for high-impact, dynamic engineering position for those who thrive on solving real problems in diverse environments. We are looking for a technical manager to lead the propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineers at Vandenberg SLC-2. In addition to personnel and technical leadership, this role will contribute to the operation, upgrade and maintenance of all launch pad systems.

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 including design engineers, technicians, external partners, and site personnel to drive 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
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.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or related engineering discipline
5+ years of hands‑on experience with fluids systems, pneumatic systems, mechanisms, hydraulic systems, 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 fast-paced environment
Ability to self‑motivate and take the initiative to ensure your systems are functional and operating at peak performance
Lead by example and work ethic
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.
5+ yrs running console operations for integrated vehicle and pad operations
Familiarity with version control systems like SVN, Bitbucket, etc
Prior launch vehicle operations at test or launch facilities
Working knowledge of data viewing tools in Python, LabView, Matlab, etc
Experience in development and/or operations of launch vehicles
USG and Commercial launch proposal support
Familiarity with AFSPCMAN 91-710, RCC 319/324

Salary Range: $145,000 - $175,000

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, relocation benefits, 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.

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