Lead Propulsion Fluid Systems Engineer

Firefly Aerospace; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Parental leave

Education reimbursement

Short-term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a highly experienced Fluid Systems Engineer to own design and test across the Blue Ghost and Elytra spacecraft fluid systems. You will drive CAD analyses, work with fabrication, and support vehicle testing and launch operations.

The role demands deep thermodynamics knowledge, experience with fluid components and testing, and the ability to communicate clearly with propulsion, structures, and avionics teams in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering.
• 10+ years in launch vehicle or spacecraft propulsion.
• Thorough understanding of fluid dynamics and thermodynamics.
• Experience with fluid components sizing and hardware testing.
• Proficiency with modeling/analysis tools (CAD/FEA/CFD, MATLAB, Python).
• Strong communication and technical writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate full ownership of spacecraft fluid system requirements, design, and analysis from concept through flight.
• Lead development of propulsion integration concepts to maximize reliability.
• Serve as primary technical contact for spacecraft fluid systems.
• Present design reviews to stakeholders and lead data analysis.
• Plan and execute development, qualification, and acceptance testing of flight hardware.
• Implement manufacturability improvements to reduce cost and lead time.
• Identify risks, perform trade studies, and drive informed decisions.
• Develop automation tools and test data analysis capabilities.
• Support vehicle test and flight campaigns with console operations.
• Collaborate on processes, work instructions, and test procedures with manufacturing.

Skills

Fluid systems engineering

Propulsion experience

Fluid dynamics

Thermodynamics

CAD/FEA/CFD

Python/MATLAB

Problem solving

Hardware testing

Data acquisition

Analytical thinking

Education

B.S. Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Ansys

Caesar II

Bentley Autopipe

MATLAB

Python

CAD

Job description

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a highly experienced Fluid Systems Engineer to own design and test across the Blue Ghost and Elytra spacecraft fluid systems. You will drive CAD analyses, work with fabrication, and support vehicle testing and launch operations.

The role demands deep thermodynamics knowledge, experience with fluid components and testing, and the ability to communicate clearly with propulsion, structures, and avionics teams in a fast-paced environment.