Launch Vehicle Mechanisms Engineer III

Firefly Aerospace•Cedar Park, TX

About The Position

The Launch Vehicle Mechanisms Engineer III designs, analyzes, develops, and qualifies moving mechanical assemblies for launch vehicle programs. The role provides technical leadership throughout the lifecycle of flight-critical mechanisms, including stage separation systems, deployment mechanisms, hold-down and release systems, and other moving assemblies. It combines defining hardware motion with engineering analysis and documentation to turn concepts into functional products. The engineer serves as the technical owner for mechanism development, creates and manages hardware definitions using CAD and drawings, guides analysis and testing, and collaborates across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and operations. The position also supports hardware build and integration, resolves product issues, and mentors junior engineers.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering field.
At least 6 years of experience designing, analyzing, and qualifying mechanical mechanisms for aerospace or high-reliability systems.
Demonstrated experience with flight-critical mechanisms such as separation systems, deployment mechanisms, actuators, latches, hinges, springs, and release devices.
Strong understanding of kinematics, tribology, tolerance analysis, lubrication, and wear in aerospace environments.
Experience designing and testing for extreme environments, including vibration, shock, thermal cycling, vacuum, and cryogenic conditions.
Proficiency with finite element analysis or classical hand calculations to evaluate strength, stiffness, and fatigue.
Experience supporting production builds, resolving nonconformances, and improving producibility.
Experience defining qualification and acceptance test programs and interpreting test data.
Ability to make sound, defensible engineering decisions under schedule and program constraints.
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 required U.S. Department of State authorizations, to comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations including ITAR.

Nice To Haves

Master's or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline, or at least 8 years of experience designing, analyzing, and qualifying mechanical mechanisms for aerospace or high-reliability systems.
Experience with launch vehicle or spacecraft programs from development through qualified flight.
Experience driving hardware from a test through to a successful product.
Experience with the design and qualification of separation systems.
Experience with shock mitigation strategies.
Proven history of successful mechanisms with high lifecycle counts and minimal refurbishment.
Familiarity with scripting or programming for analysis, automation, or data reduction.
Working knowledge of AIAA S-114, NASA 5017b, SMS-S016, NASA 5020, and GEVS.

Responsibilities

Act as technical owner and individual contributor or team member in developing and producing moving mechanical assemblies for launch vehicle missions.
Create and manage hardware definitions through CAD and drawings.
Perform or guide detailed analyses, including structural margins, fatigue, contact, wear, thermal effects, tolerance stack-ups, and moving-system dynamics.
Build confidence and reliability through documentation.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate mechanisms with structures, avionics, propulsion, and operations.
Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure mechanisms are producible, inspectable, and flight-ready.
Support build, integration, and acceptance activities, resolving fit, function, and performance issues.
Lead development, qualification, and acceptance testing at component, subassembly, and system levels.
Mentor junior engineers and elevate mechanism design quality.
Serve as a subject-matter expert for mechanisms across programs and projects.