Senior Launch Vehicle Mechanisms Engineer

Firefly Aerospace; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

generous health

dental and vision plans with low plan

parental leave

educational reimbursement

short term disability

flexible PTO options

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. in Texas seeks a Launch Vehicle Mechanisms Engineer II to design, analyze, develop, and qualify critical moving mechanical assemblies for launch vehicle programs.

This role involves defining motion of hardware, performing detailed analyses, and documenting to drive products from concept to flight-ready systems. You will lead technical work, manage CAD definitions, and collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and operations to ensure producibility and reliability across

Qualifications

• The BS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field is required.
• 3+ years designing, analyzing, and qualifying mechanical mechanisms for aerospace or high-reliability systems.
• Experience with flight-critical mechanisms such as separation systems, deployment mechanisms, actuators, latches, hinges, springs, and release devices.
• Strong understanding of kinematics, tribology, tolerance analysis, lubrication, and wear in aerospace environments.
• Experience designing and testing for extreme environments including vibration, shock, thermal cycling, vacuum, and cryogenic conditions.
• Proficiency with FEA and classical hand calculations to evaluate strength, stiffness, and fatigue (Ansys, Femap, etc.).
• Experience supporting production builds, resolving nonconformances, and improving producibility.
• Experience defining qualification and acceptance test programs and interpreting test data.
• Proven ability to make sound engineering decisions under schedule constraints.
• MS or PhD in Mechanical/Aerospace or 5+ years experience in aerospace mechanisms.
• Experience with launch vehicle or spacecraft programs from development through qualified flight.
• Experience driving hardware from a test through a successful product.
• Experience with design and qualification of separation systems.
• Experience with shock mitigation strategies.
• Proven history of mechanisms with high lifecycle counts and minimal refurbishment.
• Familiarity with scripting or programming for analysis, automation, or data reduction.
• Working knowledge of AIAA S-114, NASA 5017b, SMS-S016, NASA 5020, GEVS

Responsibilities

• Individual contribution and teamwork as the technical owner to develop and produce moving mechanical assemblies that meet requirements for launch vehicle missions.
• Create and manage hardware definitions through CAD and drawings.
• Perform and guide detailed analyses including margins, fatigue, wear, and dynamics of moving systems.
• Document to build confidence and reliability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure mechanisms integrate with structures, avionics, propulsion, and operations.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure mechanisms are producible and flight-ready.
• Support build, integration, and acceptance activities, resolving fit, function, and performance issues.
• Lead development, qualification, and acceptance testing to standards such as SMC-S016, AIAA S-114, GEVS.
• Provide mentorship to junior engineers and elevate design quality.
• Act as SME for mechanisms across programs.

Skills

Mechanical design

Aerospace mechanisms

FEM/FEA

Flight-critical systems

Separation systems

Tolerance analysis

Kinematics

CAD

ANSYS

System integration

Test planning

Documentation

Producibility

Scripting/automation

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

MS/PhD or 5+ years experience

Tools

Femap

ANSYS

CAD tools

Job description

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. in Texas seeks a Launch Vehicle Mechanisms Engineer II to design, analyze, develop, and qualify critical moving mechanical assemblies for launch vehicle programs.

This role involves defining motion of hardware, performing detailed analyses, and documenting to drive products from concept to flight-ready systems. You will lead technical work, manage CAD definitions, and collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and operations to ensure producibility and reliability across