Mechanical Engineer III

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.

Cedar Park (TX)

On-site

USD 120,000 - 180,000

Full time

6 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Parental leave

Relocation benefits

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is seeking a talented Senior/Lead Structures Responsible Engineer for Primary Structures. You will develop state-of-the-art pressurized structures across the product life cycle for launch vehicles, collaborating with a skilled team on analysis, design, fabrication, and testing.

You will own cradle-to-grave roadmaps, perform sizing and strength calculations, and ensure manufacturability. A BS in aerospace/mechanical engineering and 6+ years of experience are required.

Qualifications

B.S. degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering.
6+ years of experience in a structural system design-related role.
Strong design and integration skills using 3-D CAD software (Siemens NX / FiberSim preferable).
Experience with industry FEA/FEM tools like Nastran, ANSYS, FEMAP, Simcenter, etc.

Responsibilities

Formulate the cradle to grave Road Map for your hardware—own conceptual design, structural layout, sizing analysis, hardware production, and structural testing.
Design and development of composite pressurized structures.
Mass optimization of existing designs and requalifying designs.
Support configuration development and trade studies; maintain requirements, schedule, budget, and status.
Create CAD, manufacturing drawings, specifications, and other documentation.
Perform first order strength and sizing calculations for your structure.

Skills

Aerospace engineering

Structural design

3-D CAD

FEM/FEA tools

Team collaboration

Education

B.S. in aerospace or mechanical engineering

Tools

Siemens NX

FiberSim

Nastran

ANSYS

FEMAP

Simcenter

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 ...

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

Peep our Elytra orbiter being assembled in the ...

Start your week with another Manufacturing Minute! ...

This World Space Week, remember to look up and ...

The engine powering Alpha`s first stage is truly ...

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.

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 is looking for talented Mechanical or Aerospace Engineers to join our Primary Structures Team. As a Senior or Lead Structures Responsible Engineer for Primary Structures, you will develop our state-of-the-art pressurized structures throughout the product life cycle for Launch Vehicles. You will be part of a highly skilled, dynamic team that will involve you in all aspects of analysis, design, fabrication, and testing. Excellent collaboration and communication skills, along with a can-do attitude are critical.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Formulate the comprehensive cradle to grave Road Map for your hardware - owning conceptual design, structural layout, sizing analysis, hardware production, and structural testing
Design and development of composite pressurized structures
Mass optimization of existing designs and requalifying designs
Supporting products from conceptual creation, design release, analysis, prototype, qual and production
Support configuration development and trade studies
Maintain requirements, activity schedule, budget, and status
Create CAD, manufacturing drawings, specifications, and other documentation
Perform first order strength and sizing calculations for your structure

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

B.S. degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering
6+ years of experience in a structural system design-related role
Strong design and integration skills using 3-D CAD software (Siemens NX / FiberSim preferable).
Ability to effectively work in a multi-discipline team and provide technical guidance and insight.
Experience with industry FEA/FEM tools like Nastran, ANSYS, FEMAP, Simcenter, etc.
A passion for the structures!
Experience taking hardware from analysis, through test, and back through analysis validation
Familiarity with aerospace standard structural analysis methods (Bruhn, Niu, Roark, etc)
Working knowledge of composite manufacturing methods, material selection, testing, and characterization
Demonstrated experience with composite structures and manufacturing techniques

Bonus Points

Experience with Pressurant or Propellant tanks
Experience with filament wound and/or AFP structures
Passion for very big Pressurized Structures.

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.

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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