Machine Shop Lead

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.; Texas; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision

Parental leave

Relocation benefits

Educational reimbursement

Short-term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is seeking an experienced Lead Machinist to drive daily CNC operations in our Texas-based aerospace machine shop.

You will mentor machinists, troubleshoot machining processes, and ensure adherence to GD&T and quality standards while delivering on-time production goals. Ideal candidates have 8+ years in CNC environments, leadership experience, and proficiency with Mazak/Okuma/Fanuc controls.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years in CNC machine shop.
• Experience in lead machinist or supervision preferred.
• Strong understanding of GD&T and precision inspection.
• Ability to read CNC programs and G-code.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support daily machine shop operations in a fast-paced aerospace manufacturing environment.
• Coordinate daily production activities to ensure alignment with the established production schedule and manufacturing priorities.
• Provide direct floor-level leadership, technical guidance, and support to machinists across multiple manufacturing cells.
• Monitor production progress, machine utilization, and operational efficiency to ensure jobs remain on schedule.
• Identify and communicate production constraints, equipment issues, material shortages, and other obstacles affecting delivery.
• Ensure machinists follow approved manufacturing processes, work instructions, setup documentation, controlled programs.
• Verify operators are properly prepared before beginning machining operations, including tooling, fixtures, programs, and work order requirements.
• Assist with troubleshooting machining processes, setups, tooling issues, and equipment-related problems.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives with emphasis on setup reduction, cycle time optimization, quality, and productivity.
• Promote operator accountability for workmanship, equipment care, documentation accuracy, and adherence to established processes.
• Actively participate in RCCA investigations involving nonconformances, machining errors, and process failures. Assist in identifying root causes, developing corrective actions, and verifying their effectiveness to prevent recurrence.
• Ensure accurate completion of manufacturing work orders, operation tracking, and production documentation.
• Maintain effective communication between shifts through detailed production pass-downs, including completed operations, work order status, and outstanding issues.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe working environment while ensuring compliance with all EHS requirements.
• Communicate daily production performance, operational concerns, and improvement opportunities to machine shop management.

Skills

CNC machining

G-code

GD&T

leadership

problem solving

Tools

Mazak

Okuma

Fanuc

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.

Let the good times roll...to the Moon!
...

Let the good times roll...to the Moon!
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269 1

Two bold Texas companies, Firefly and ...

Two bold Texas companies, Firefly and ...

1199 15

Miranda is the most powerful engine in our ...

Miranda is the most powerful engine in our ...

801 5

Our missions are powered by our incredible team ...

Our missions are powered by our incredible team ...

917 13

What does SciTec bring to the Firefly family?
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What does SciTec bring to the Firefly family?
...

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Peep our Elytra orbiter being assembled in the ...

Peep our Elytra orbiter being assembled in the ...

749 3

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.

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to reliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24‑hour notice and the first company to achieve a successful Moon landing. 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

Want to build rockets? We are a full service machine shop supporting a new space rocket company. Do you want to be part of the excitement of scaling up for production on our spaced based portfolio. We are a high energy team looking for equals to get us to the next level. Are you ready to join us?

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and support daily machine shop operations in a fast-paced aerospace manufacturing environment.
• Coordinate daily production activities to ensure alignment with the established production schedule and manufacturing priorities.
• Provide direct floor-level leadership, technical guidance, and support to machinists across multiple manufacturing cells.
• Monitor production progress, machine utilization, and operational efficiency to ensure jobs remain on schedule.
• Identify and communicate production constraints, equipment issues, material shortages, and other obstacles affecting delivery.
• Ensure machinists follow approved manufacturing processes, work instructions, setup documentation, controlled programs.
• Verify operators are properly prepared before beginning machining operations, including tooling, fixtures, programs, and work order requirements.
• Assist with troubleshooting machining processes, setups, tooling issues, and equipment-related problems.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives with emphasis on setup reduction, cycle time optimization, quality, and productivity.
• Promote operator accountability for workmanship, equipment care, documentation accuracy, and adherence to established processes.
• Actively participate in Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations involving nonconformances, machining errors, and process failures. Assist in identifying root causes, developing corrective actions, and verifying their effectiveness to prevent recurrence.
• Ensure accurate completion of manufacturing work orders, operation tracking, and production documentation.
• Maintain effective communication between shifts through detailed production pass-downs, including completed operations, work order status, and outstanding issues.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe working environment while ensuring compliance with all EHS requirements.
• Communicate daily production performance, operational concerns, and improvement opportunities to machine shop management.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 8 years of experience in a CNC machine shop environment.
• Previous experience in a lead machinist, team lead, or manufacturing leadership role preferred.
• Advanced understanding of CNC machining processes, including milling, turning, and multi‑axis operations.
• Ability to read, interpret, and troubleshoot CNC programs and G‑code.
• Advanced understanding of engineering drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and precision inspection requirements.
• Working knowledge of Mazak, Okuma, Fanuc, and other CNC machine controllers.
• Strong understanding of machine setups, work holding, tooling selection, and machining best practices.
• Ability to identify manufacturing inefficiencies and implement practical process improvements.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to work effectively with machinists, programmers, quality personnel, and management.
• Ability to prioritize work, manage competing production demands, and maintain accountability in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, productivity, and on‑time delivery.

DESIRED

• Experience operating or supporting Mazak, Okuma, and DMG MORI CNC equipment.
• Experience with 3‑axis, 4‑axis, 5‑axis milling and multi‑axis turning operations.
• Experience in aerospace manufacturing or other high‑precision manufacturing environments.
• Experience training and developing machinists across varying skill levels.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing, 5S, and continuous improvement methodologies.

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.