Propulsion Valves Engineer II | High-Impact Hardware

Firefly Aerospace; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Dental plan

Vision plan

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Short-term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace in Austin, Texas, seeks a Mechanical Engineer II to own propulsion valve hardware across the full lifecycle, from concept through qualification to production handoff. You will design, test and qualify high-performance valves, regulators, and actuators for Alpha and related programs, lead cross‑functional teams, and drive cost reduction and schedule improvements.

This role demands strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics and system design, and a passion for scalable, flight‑worthy

Qualifications

• BS in Aerospace Engineering or related discipline.
• 3+ years in valve or fluid system design.
• Fluids fundamentals: fluid mechanics, heat transfer, structures.
• Valve design, instrumentation and fluid fittings expertise.
• Analytical/numerical modelling of devices and processes.
• Ability to manage complex projects and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Interest in advancing 'newspace' and economical solutions.
• Experience with cryogenic, high-pressure, hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
• Experience with valve/regulator design and LOX operations.
• Rapid hardware development experience.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate ownership of hardware from concept to production.
• Design, develop and deliver propulsion components for high performance systems.
• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver tested hardware on time.
• Prepare and lead CoDRs, MRR, PDR, TRR, and data reviews.
• Qualify plans and perform hands-on testing and problem solving.
• Standardize solutions across programs and product lines.
• Identify cost saving and risk reduction opportunities.
• Resolve non-conformances and implement design changes.
• Develop hardware upgrades aligned with performance and cost goals.
• Lead failure investigations and root-cause analysis.

Skills

Valve design

Fluid systems

FEA/CFD analysis

GD&T

DFM

Cryogenic systems

Hydraulic systems

Pneumatic systems

Analytical modelling

Project management

Education

BS in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

FEA/CFD analysis

Job description

Firefly Aerospace in Austin, Texas, seeks a Mechanical Engineer II to own propulsion valve hardware across the full lifecycle, from concept through qualification to production handoff. You will design, test and qualify high-performance valves, regulators, and actuators for Alpha and related programs, lead cross‑functional teams, and drive cost reduction and schedule improvements.

This role demands strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics and system design, and a passion for scalable, flight‑worthy