Flight Dynamics Manager

About Firefly AerospaceFirefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.SummaryAs the Flight Dynamics Manager at Firefly Aerospace, you will lead a technical team supporting mission design, orbit determination, and maneuver planning for operational spacecraft across LEO and cislunar space. In this role, you will own all aspects of team leadership including recruitment, career development, and performance management while driving strategic planning, budget management, and operational execution. This position combines technical expertise in spacecraft flight dynamics with people leadership, requiring you to build team capabilities, foster a high-performing culture, and deliver mission-critical support in a fast-paced aerospace environment.ResponsibilitiesLead a flight dynamics team supporting multiple spacecraft programs and development effortsOwn all aspects of team staffing including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and workforce planningConduct performance evaluations and drive career development through mentorship and coaching of engineers at all levelsSet flight dynamics objectives and communicate priorities to team members and cross-functional stakeholdersDevelop and manage the flight dynamics budget and annual operating planDirect daily operations of the team ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical software development, analysis, and operational supportInterface with program managers and mission stakeholders to allocate team responsibilities and establish execution schedulesDrive flight dynamics strategy and roadmap development, identifying capability gaps and investment prioritiesChampion continuous improvement initiatives for flight dynamics processes, tools, and operational efficiencyFoster a healthy team culture and maintain high morale in a demanding technical and operational environmentQualificationsRequiredBachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field10+ years of experience in spacecraft flight dynamics with demonstrated expertise across mission design, orbit determination, and maneuver planning5+ years of technical team leadership experience including direct management of engineers and technical staffDemonstrated experience supporting operational spacecraft missions through multiple mission phasesProven ability to recruit, hire, develop, and retain high-performing technical talentDemonstrated success building team capabilities through mentorship, training, and career developmentExperience managing team budgets, resource planning, and workforce forecastingExperience establishing technical standards, processes, and best practices for flight dynamics organizationsExcellent communication skills with ability to convey complex technical concepts to executives, customers, and non-technical stakeholdersAbility to foster a collaborative team culture while meeting demanding mission schedulesDesiredAdvanced degree (master's or PhD) in aerospace engineering, physics, mathematics, or related fieldKnowledge of spacecraft subsystems and their impact on trajectory design and orbit determinationExperience with Python and LinuxProficiency with one or more commercial flight dynamics software tools (STK, FreeFlyer, GMAT, ODTK, or similar)Experience developing strategic vision, technical roadmaps, and upgrade initiatives for flight dynamics teamsExperience leading or supporting anomaly investigations and resolving critical mission issuesFirefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status