Fluids GSE Design Engineer I

Firefly Aerospace•Briggs, TX

About The Position

As a Fluids Ground Support Equipment (FGSE) Design Engineer, you will help develop launch sites, test stands, and production equipment supporting Firefly’s launch vehicles and spacecraft. You will work in collaborative groups on fluid system design, installation, maintenance, and operation across company facilities. Work includes preliminary and detailed design, installation, startup support, system baselining, performance analysis, and recommending upgrades. The role requires travel to Firefly’s Cedar Park, Texas headquarters and Briggs, Texas Production and Development Facility, as well as travel to test and launch sites as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
Strong understanding of first principles in fluids, heat transfer, and thermodynamics.
Ability to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment.
Ability to self-motivate and take initiative to ensure systems are functional and operating at peak performance.
Willingness and enthusiasm to take ownership of a large or complex system.
Ability to balance detailed design tasks with higher-level project management tasks, including budgeting, scheduling, and communications.
Ability to organize, communicate, and lead in a multidisciplinary environment.
At least 2 years of recent professional experience outside the classroom with fluid systems, pneumatics, hydraulics, or HVAC systems in a design, assembly, test, or operations capacity.
Willingness to travel 30% of the time in support of GSE build and activation.
Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations to comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including ITAR.

Nice To Haves

Cryogenic system design and operational experience.
Experience in aerospace, R&D, or oil and gas environments.
Experience or familiarity with distributed control systems, including instrumentation, data acquisition, DCS, or SCADA.
Strong 3D CAD experience, preferably Siemens NX/Teamcenter.
Experience developing test and operational procedures.
Familiarity with ASME, NASA, and SSCMAN standards related to fluid system design.
At least 5 years of recent professional experience outside the classroom with fluid systems, pneumatics, hydraulics, or HVAC systems in a design, assembly, test, or operations capacity.
Hands-on experience building, troubleshooting, and operating complex fluid or mechanical systems.
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 ground fluid systems, including developing P&IDs; tube and pipe sizing calculations for cryogenic, multiphase, compressible, and incompressible fluids; specifying and selecting valves, fittings, and components; designing critical safety equipment; developing basic control philosophies for system modifications; and specifying pipe and equipment coatings and insulation.
Manage fabrication, installation, checkout, and operation of fluid systems.
Coordinate and plan fabrication and construction with the GSE technician team, including providing P&IDs and dimensional drawings, generating drawings and work instructions, planning and scheduling work, incorporating technician feedback into design, and supporting and directing build teams onsite.
Coordinate with the Ground Support Equipment design team and perform work in accordance with its policies, procedures, and specifications.
Maintain understanding of applicable requirements, engineering codes, and piping standards, including launch range requirements and ASME B31.1, ASME B31.3, ANSI, API, and applicable NFPA standards.
Participate in and lead internal design reviews and operations readiness reviews, and represent Firefly in external design reviews.
Perform system activation testing by determining objectives and requirements, writing detailed safety-focused procedures, executing test plans and procedures, and coordinating with other teams as needed.
Maintain and upgrade fluid systems, including developing preventive maintenance plans for systems and equipment.
Troubleshoot fluid system nonconformances using the company reporting system and provide engineering instructions, including dispositions and work steps.
Travel to test and launch sites as required to support company objectives.