Space Launch Operations Lead

Firefly Aerospace; California; On-site; USD 145,000 - 175,000; 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 seeks a technical manager to lead propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineers at Vandenberg SLC-2. You will oversee operation, maintenance, and testing of launch pad systems, guide design reviews, and coordinate with external partners to ensure readiness for launch campaigns.

You will also hire, train, and mentor the launch ops team, develop maintenance strategies, and draft procedures for system operation and vehicle testing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience with fluids, pneumatic, mechanical, hydraulic, electrical systems, tooling or test operations.
• 2+ years of managing personnel.
• Ability to create and interpret engineering docs (drawings, P&ID, test data).
• Ability to prioritize tasks in a high-pressure environment.
• Strong communication for technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead operation, maintenance and testing of launch pad fluids, pneumatic mechanical, and electrical systems.
• Facilitate hiring, training, and onboarding activities for the launch operations engineering team
• Guide design reviews and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to drive system upgrades and validate readiness for launch campaigns.
• Support launch pad and flight vehicle system integrity testing to validate health and readiness for launches.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts and investigate non-conformances during operations and testing.
• Perform launch console operations or launch day close-out activities.
• Write procedures for system operation, maintenance, and vehicle testing.
• Develop maintenance strategies to maximize system availability and minimize downtime between missions.
• Collaborate with customers and regulatory teams to ensure interoperability and range safety compliance.

Skills

Fluid systems

Pneumatic systems

Mechanical design

Electrical systems

Test operations

Leadership

Documentation (P&ID)

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering

Tools

SVN

Bitbucket

Python

LabVIEW

MATLAB

Job description

Firefly Aerospace seeks a technical manager to lead propulsion, fluids, electrical, and mechanical engineers at Vandenberg SLC-2. You will oversee operation, maintenance, and testing of launch pad systems, guide design reviews, and coordinate with external partners to ensure readiness for launch campaigns.

You will also hire, train, and mentor the launch ops team, develop maintenance strategies, and draft procedures for system operation and vehicle testing.