Senior Instrumentation & Controls Engineer, Ground Systems

Firefly Aerospace; Briggs (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision

Parental leave

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Level III Instrumentation & Controls Engineer to act as the technical authority for launch, orbit, and landing support systems. You will architect end-to-end control solutions for engines, cryogenics, and test campaigns, while guiding teams and aligning engineering with program goals.

You will lead the development of I&C standards, participate in reviews, and drive innovation across Firefly ground infrastructure, including test stands and launch sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace, Controls, Instrumentation or related field.
• 3–5 years in instrumentation and controls engineering for industrial facilities, test stands, or ground support equipment.
• Hands-on experience programming PLCs (Allen-Bradley, Siemens) using ladder logic and structured text.
• Experience in designing HMIs and data acquisition systems.
• Experience with LabVIEW and data analysis tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical teams on instrument & control projects.
• Architect control system solutions from concept through commissioning.
• Develop long-term technical roadmaps for I&C capabilities.
• Design PLC-based control systems for test stands, launch infrastructure, and ground support equipment.
• Develop sensor integration, data acquisition, and signal conditioning strategies.
• Collaborate with vendors and customers on technical requirements and risk assessments.

Skills

PLC programming

Instrumentation & controls

HMI design

Data acquisition

LabVIEW

Python

Electrical schematics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace, Controls, Instrumentation

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

National Instruments hardware

Siemens/Allen-Bradley PLCs

SCADA systems

Job description

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Level III Instrumentation & Controls Engineer to act as the technical authority for launch, orbit, and landing support systems. You will architect end-to-end control solutions for engines, cryogenics, and test campaigns, while guiding teams and aligning engineering with program goals.

You will lead the development of I&C standards, participate in reviews, and drive innovation across Firefly ground infrastructure, including test stands and launch sites.