Manager, Ground System Fluids Engineering

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to reliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the first company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space. Key Responsibilities Team Leadership & Management Lead & mentor a team engineers as they design, build, and activate, and optimize fluid ground systems in support of tomorrow’s launch vehicles and spacecraft Recruit, develop, and retain top engineering talent with passion for advancing space access Set clear goals, provide regular feedback, align individual development with company targets, conduct performance reviews, and nurture a healthy and challenging team culture Inspire and nurture a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement by challenging hardware and software norms and developing more effective workspaces & tools Define and manage project definition, project milestones, hand-off, and resource supply/demand forecasts Help engineers develop the tools and skills to communicate effectively up and down the organizational chart through project reporting, design reviews, accountability to deadlines, build readiness reviews, Con-Ops reviews, activation SITs, and project handoffs Technical Leadership Establish and enforce the Firefly GSE Fluid System Standard Work with customers and work centers to adhere to best practices for fluid system fabrication, installation, operation, and maintenance. Tools/standards include, but are not limited to Fluid system design guideline Design templates for repeatable sub-system segments Relief Sizing Tools General analysis tools (pressure drop, flow, fluid thermal behavior, phase change, etc) Fluid system fabrication guideline Component Specification standards Project Handoff packages Oversee the design, construction, and deployment of GSE fluid systems including: Requirement gathering Managing internal customer relationships Project status reporting Technical Design Reviews Manufacturing/Build Readiness Reviews Work Instruction creation and review Fabrication & Installation support Activation & Handoff Review & approve control document packages including, but not limited to: P&IDs Relief calculation documentation Bills of materials Instrument specifications Critical spare inventory lists Process flow diagrams Identify and resolve operational issues for Fluid systems across all of Firefly. Ensure compliance with Aerospace quality standards, safety requirements, and local regulations Cross Functional Collaboration Coordinate and manage relationships with interdisciplinary teams to set project requirements, coordinate on complex construction projects (new Test Stands, Launch Sites, vehicle handling/integration systems, etc), manage scope creep, and balance technical rigor with program urgency Work with other GSE Leaders to manage dependencies between mechanical, fluid, and electrical systems on capital builds Communicate with the Program teams to manage resource allocation in alignment with Program and Company priority Gather information from various internal stakeholders and properly forecast fluid system design demand. Manage the team in accordance with that demand. Work with the Fluids Engineers to manage capital budgets for Ground Support capital projects Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical discipline Minimum 5 years of experience in integration and/or testing of process control systems, spacecraft test equipment, or launch systems. Minimum 2 years of direct management experience or team leadership experience Strong fluids fundamentals with hands-on experience operating or troubleshooting fluid systems, conducting simulations/models, specifying Fluids system hardware, or similar experience. Working knowledge of common fluid system hardware (ball valves, gate valves, solenoid valves, needle valves, butterfly valves, check valves, relief valves, shut down valves, regulators, etc) Working knowledge of common fluid components/connections (NPT, AN, Swage, VC, welded, etc) Excellent communication, planning, and organizational skills Demonstrated ability and desire to work with interdisciplinary teams Preferred Qualifications Spacecraft / Launch Vehicle test and validation experience or equivalent industrial fluid system design experience Experience with launch site and/or test site operations Experience fabricating a fluids panel/fluids system Experience specifying and installing instrumentation Familiarity with specifications and aerospace quality standards (AS9100, AFSPCMAN 91-710, ASME B31.3, ASME Section 8, NASA) A balanced sense of urgency and risk management style to handle interdisciplinary conflicts when they arise. Experience managing vendor relationships and external contractors Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational/relocation 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.