Senior Trajectory & Flight Dynamics Engineer

Cedarparktexasedc; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision plans

Educational reimbursement

Parental leave

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer specializing in trajectory and maneuver design to develop and optimize spacecraft trajectories for operational missions spanning LEO and cislunar space. You will create targeting algorithms, error budgets, and act as a flight dynamics operator, collaborating with cross-functional teams to translate mission designs into executable operations.

This role combines advanced mission design with hands-on operational support and mentoring of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field required.
• 5–8 years of experience in spacecraft flight dynamics with depth in mission design or maneuver planning.
• Experience supporting operational spacecraft missions through multiple mission phases.
• Advanced understanding of orbital mechanics theory and applications.
• Understanding of spacecraft attitude control and its impact on maneuver execution accuracy.
• Strong understanding of targeting and optimization methods.
• Knowledge of estimation theory and uncertainty modeling.
• Experience in software development and modeling/simulation for spaceflight applications.
• Working knowledge of Python and Linux.
• Proficiency with STK, FreeFlyer, GMAT, or similar trajectory design tools.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Optimize spacecraft trajectories to satisfy mission requirements while balancing delta-V budgets and payload constraints.
• Design and maintain mission designs from concept through end of spacecraft operations.
• Develop algorithms to target maneuvers that achieve mission objectives.
• Create maneuver error budgets and analyze sensitivity to execution uncertainties.
• Formulate contingency maneuver plans and abort scenarios for off-nominal conditions.
• Interface with cross-discipline teams to translate maneuver plans into executable procedures.
• Serve as flight dynamics operator for missions and perform maneuver reconstruction.
• Verify and validate flight dynamics models and software using analyses, flight data, and tests.
• Author technical documentation and analysis reports for diverse audiences.

Skills

Python

Linux

Trajectory design

Communication skills

Mathematics

Targeting methods

Uncertainty modeling

Software development

Maneuver planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field

Tools

STK

FreeFlyer

GMAT

MONTE

Git

Job description

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer specializing in trajectory and maneuver design to develop and optimize spacecraft trajectories for operational missions spanning LEO and cislunar space. You will create targeting algorithms, error budgets, and act as a flight dynamics operator, collaborating with cross-functional teams to translate mission designs into executable operations.

This role combines advanced mission design with hands-on operational support and mentoring of