Fluids Engineer II

Firefly Aerospace•Briggs, TX

About The Position

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Fluids Ground Support Equipment (FGSE) Engineer to own the lifecycle of fluid systems at its launch sites, test stands, and production facilities. The role involves designing and building complex systems, including incompressible, cryogenic, propellant, and high-pressure gas systems. The engineer will work closely with technicians, welders, and cross-functional teams, making technical decisions from early architecture and detailed design through fabrication, installation, and activation. The position supports Firefly’s Alpha, Eclipse, Elytra, and Blue Ghost programs and provides broad experience in the development of test and launch infrastructure. Travel to test and launch sites may be required to support system construction and commissioning.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or an equivalent field.
2–5 years of recent professional experience outside the classroom with fluid systems, pneumatics, hydraulics, or HVAC systems in design, assembly, testing, or operations.
Thorough understanding of fluid dynamics and thermodynamics.
Solid understanding of fluid components, including valves, regulators, pressure transducers, tubing, tanks, pressurized hardware, seals, and instrumentation.
Experience with development, design, or testing of fluid system subcomponents or pressurized components, such as valves, regulators, piping systems, or pumps.
Working knowledge of manufacturing, fabrication, integration, and quality control relevant to fluid components, such as machining, inspection, welding, assembly, and testing.
Demonstrated ability to perform clean-sheet designs of pressurization systems, propellant systems, or other complex multidisciplinary systems.
Experience creating P&IDs, sizing fluid systems, selecting fluid components and instrumentation, and designing pressurized systems.
Experience using fluid analysis tools such as REFPROP, GFSSP, or other computer-based fluid dynamic modeling tools.
Proficiency with 3D and 2D CAD software packages such as Siemens NX.
Ability to balance detailed design tasks with higher-level project management tasks, including budgeting, scheduling, and communications.
Ability to travel up to 30% of the time in support of GSE build and activation.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or an equivalent field.
Direct hands-on experience building, troubleshooting, or operating complex fluid or mechanical systems.
Cryogenic system design or operational experience.
Hypergolic system design or operational experience.
Experience in an aerospace, R&D, or oil and gas environment.
Familiarity with standards related to fluid system design, including ASME B31.3, ASME BPVC Section VIII, and/or AFSPCMAN 91-710.
Direct experience designing and building ground systems (GSE) or related fluid systems, including test environments, fluid or gas conditioning and storage, manufacturing processes, and compressible gases.

Responsibilities

Design, analyze, and build test stand and launch pad fluid systems, including incompressible, cryogenic, and high-pressure gas systems.
Own the full design cycle of fluid systems, including preparing schematics and P&IDs, sizing components, generating bills of materials, creating CAD models, procuring hardware, and producing drawings.
Work directly with technicians and welders to schedule, prepare, and build designs and resolve real-world problems.
Participate in and lead internal design reviews and operational readiness reviews, and represent Firefly in external design reviews.
Travel to test and launch sites as required to support the construction and commissioning of new and upgraded fluid systems.