Propulsion Engineer I (Spacecraft Fluids)

Firefly Aerospace; Leander (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision plans

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace in Austin, TX is seeking a Responsible Engineer for Propulsion Fluid Systems to own the fluid subsystem across concept through flight. You will design, analyze, and verify fluid components for Blue Ghost and Elytra spacecraft, collaborating with structures, propulsion, and avionics teams.

The role requires a B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, hands-on hardware experience, and strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering.
• 1+ years of experience in fluid systems engineering and/or propulsion.
• Experience with tube or pipe design and layout.
• Proficiency in modeling and analysis tools (e.g., CAD, FEA, CFD, MATLAB, Python).
• Hands-on hardware design, fabrication, and testing.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate full ownership of spacecraft fluid system requirements, design, and analysis from concept through flight.
• Lead development of innovative design concepts for propulsion integration and operations.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for all spacecraft fluid systems.
• Author and present detailed design reviews to internal and external stakeholders.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute development, qualification, and acceptance testing of flight hardware.
• Implement design-for-manufacturability improvements to increase production efficiency and vehicle reliability.
• Identify system-level risks, perform trade studies, and drive decisions for successful operation.
• Develop and maintain automation tools and test data analysis capabilities.
• Support vehicle test and flight campaigns with console operations and troubleshooting.

Skills

Fluid dynamics

Thermodynamics

CAD

FEA/CFD

MATLAB

Python

Communication

Hardware design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Aerospace

Advanced degree in Mechanical/Aerospace

Tools

Ansys

Caesar II

Bentley Autopipe

CAD

Job description

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACEFirefly 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 AEROSPACEFirefly 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.ABOUT THE ROLEThe Propulsion Fluid Systems team is responsible for the design, integration, and operation of all fluid subsystems across Firefly’s spacecraft. As a Responsible Engineer, you will work across the full lifecycle of hardware, including requirements definition, design, analysis, development, test, and qualification of the Blue Ghost and Elytra spacecraft fluid systems. You will lead CAD design and analysis efforts, collaborate with fabrication and integration teams to build and assemble the system, and support vehicle testing and launch operations.Fluid Systems Engineers have deep technical knowledge, ownership of hardware from concept to flight, and clear communication with cross-functional partners including structures, propulsion, avionics, and vehicle systems. The successful candidate will be a self-starter who enjoys challenging assumptions, thrives in a fast-paced development environment, and seeks to make impactful contributions to Firefly’s mission.RESPONSIBILITIESDemonstrate full ownership of spacecraft fluid system requirements, design, and analysis from concept through flight.Lead development of innovative design concepts for propulsion integration and operations that reduce complexity and maximize reliability within program constraints.Serve as the primary technical point of contact for all spacecraft fluid systems.Author and present detailed design review presentations to internal and external stakeholdersPlan, coordinate, and execute development, qualification, and acceptance testing of flight hardware, including data analysis and reviews.Implement design-for-manufacturability improvements to increase production efficiency and vehicle reliability.Identify system-level risks, perform trade studies, and drive decisions to ensure successful vehicle operation.Develop and maintain automation tools and test data analysis capabilities.Support vehicle test and flight campaigns by providing console operations support.Collaborate with manufacturing and integration teams to develop processes, work instructions, and test procedures, and provide direct build supportDrive development of efficient test and flight operations for fluid systems and assist with troubleshooting during vehicle operationsQUALIFICATIONSRequiredB.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering discipline1+ years of experience in fluid systems engineering and/or propulsionThorough understanding of fluid dynamics and thermodynamicsExperience with tube or pipe design and layoutProficiency in modeling and analysis tools (e.g., CAD, FEA, CFD, MATLAB, Python)Deep knowledge of engineering fundamentals and a demonstrated history of applying first principles to arrive at simple, robust solutionsExcellent problem-solving, communication, and technical writing skills.Hands-on experience with hardware design, fabrication, and testingWorking knowledge of manufacturing, fabrication, integration, and quality control relevant to fluid components (such as machining, inspection, assembly, testing, etc.)Knowledge of fluid components such as valves, regulators, pressure transducers, tubing, pressurized hardware, seals, and instrumentation and experience performing fluid systems sizing analysis with such componentsAbility to rapidly develop solutions with partially defined or evolving requirementsDesired QualificationsAdvanced degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent field2+ years of experience developing launch vehicle or spacecraft propulsion systemsKnowledge of material selection and best practices for hypergolic systemsExperience with fluid system subcomponent or pressurized component development, design, or testing (such as valves, regulators, piping systems, pumps, etc.)Experience in working with data acquisition systems and test instrumentation including pressure transducers, thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), flow meters, load cells, and accelerometersExperience conducting tubing/piping flexibility analysis using software packages such as Ansys, Caesar II, Bentley Autopipe, etc.Experience reducing the complexity of large integrated assemblies to reduce part count, cost, and lead timeDemonstrated experience with full hardware lifecycle ownership, from blank-sheet design through full operationFirefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, 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.Primary Level Salary Range: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.