Spacecraft Fluids Propulsion Engineer I

Firefly Aerospace; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision plan

Educational reimbursement

Parental leave

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Propulsion Engineer I (Spacecraft Fluids) to own the fluid subsystem lifecycle from concept through flight. You will design, analyze, and test propulsion fluid systems for Blue Ghost and Elytra, lead CAD/analysis efforts, and coordinate with fabrication, integration, and test teams to ensure robust, reliable performance.

The role emphasizes strong fundamentals in fluid dynamics, hands-on hardware experience, and clear communication with propulsion, structures, and

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering.
• 1+ years of fluid systems engineering and/or propulsion.
• Thorough understanding of fluid dynamics and thermodynamics.
• Experience with tube or pipe design and layout.
• Proficiency in modeling and analysis tools (CAD, FEA, CFD, MATLAB, Python).
• Hands-on hardware design, fabrication, and testing.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing, fabrication, integration, and QC for fluid components.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate full ownership of spacecraft fluid system requirements, design, and analysis from concept through flight.
• Lead development of innovative design concepts for propulsion integration and operations.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for spacecraft fluid systems.
• Author and present design review presentations to stakeholders.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute development, qualification, and acceptance testing of flight hardware.
• Implement design-for-manufacturability improvements to increase production efficiency.
• Identify system risks, perform trade studies, and drive decisions for vehicle operation.
• Develop and maintain automation tools and test data analysis capabilities.
• Support vehicle test and flight campaigns with console operations support.
• Collaborate with manufacturing to develop processes and test procedures.

Skills

Fluid systems eng

Propulsion knowledge

CAD/FEA/CFD

Python/MATLAB

Hardware testing

Technical writing

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical/Aerospace

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

CAD

FEA

CFD

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Propulsion Engineer I (Spacecraft Fluids) to own the fluid subsystem lifecycle from concept through flight. You will design, analyze, and test propulsion fluid systems for Blue Ghost and Elytra, lead CAD/analysis efforts, and coordinate with fabrication, integration, and test teams to ensure robust, reliable performance.

The role emphasizes strong fundamentals in fluid dynamics, hands-on hardware experience, and clear communication with propulsion, structures, and