Propulsion Manufacturing Engineer III Verified today
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. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly was the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the first to achieve a successful Moon landing.
The Role
The Propulsion Manufacturing Engineering Team is responsible for the fabrication, integration, test, and delivery of engines and fluid systems to vehicle and spacecraft programs. You will take profound ownership of engine components from design release through delivery of completed flight hardware. This role is located at our manufacturing and test site in Briggs, TX, north of Cedar Park.
Responsibilities
- Lead the transition of products from development to production
- Own end-to-end fabrication, assembly, and checkout procedures for propulsion subassemblies and full engines
- Develop continuous process improvements to increase production rate and reduce cost
- Lead investigations of process failures and drive to root cause
- Develop, test, and qualify new production processes
- Participate in design reviews and provide feedback to design teams
- Own assembly and integration instructions and work with technician teams on continuous improvement
- Develop and execute functional checkout procedures and processes
- Disposition non-conformances, develop and implement corrective actions
- Conduct manufacturability reviews and implement design improvements
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical field
- 8+ years of experience working in a Manufacturing Engineer role
- Proven experience with complex assemblies in aerospace, aviation, or automotive industries
- Ability to read and interpret technical drawings and assembly instructions
- Proven experience with complex troubleshooting
- Proven experience working in dynamic and evolving environments
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills; must be a team player
- Proven experience with tasks requiring extreme attention to detail and prolonged mental concentration
- Ability to thrive in high-stakes, stressful, short deadline environments
- Critical thinking and strong decision-making ability
Desired Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in an aerospace production environment
- Experience with advanced manufacturing techniques (welding, brazing, casting, additive fabrication, forging, spin forming)
- Experience working with cryogenics and high-pressure pneumatics systems
- Experience with modern manufacturing principles such as Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma
- Experience with complex system assembly and hands-on build experience in space systems or aerospace applications
- Experience writing assembly procedures or documentation for mechanical, electrical, or structural systems
- Experience writing test plans, procedures, and identifying pass/fail criteria
- Knowledge of data analysis packages (Python/Excel)
- Working knowledge of fluid components and systems
Benefits
Firefly offers generous health, dental and vision plans with low deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short-term disability, and flexible PTO options.
Export Control Requirement
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.