Propulsion Engineer II (Valves)

Firefly Aerospace•Cedar Park, TX

32d

About The Position

Firefly Aerospace’s fluid components team designs, builds, tests, and qualifies high-performance, precision fluid components for the Alpha and Eclipse launch vehicles, Blue Ghost lunar landers, and Elytra spacecraft. The team owns products throughout their lifecycle, from initial conception through qualification and handoff to production. This role focuses on propulsion valves and related components, including design, development, qualification, and production support.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
At least 3 years of experience in a valve- or fluid-system-design-related role.
Exceptional understanding of engineering fundamentals, including fluid mechanics, heat transfer, structural analysis, materials, and processes.
Strong understanding of fluid systems, including fluid-system sizing, valve design and operation, instrumentation, flexible-element design and integration, and fluid fittings.
Skill in creating analytical or numerical models of engineering devices and processes.
Ability to successfully manage complex projects.
Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment.
Demonstrated interest in advancing new space.
Self-motivation and ability to work with minimal direction.
Ability to develop economical solutions creatively.

Nice To Haves

Experience serving as a responsible, manufacturing, or test engineer on an aerospace development project involving a fluids-related subsystem.
Component testing experience.
Proficiency with GD&T.
Proficiency with design for manufacturing (DFM).
Proficiency with FEA and/or CFD analysis.
Knowledge of high-pressure, cryogenic, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems.
Experience with valve and regulator design.
Experience with liquid oxygen or other cryogenic operations.
Experience modeling fluid networks.
Experience with rapid hardware development techniques.

Responsibilities

Demonstrate extreme ownership of hardware.
Conceptualize, design, develop, and deliver propulsion components for high-performance systems.
Own the full development lifecycle and provide production support as the technical expert.
Own a combination of Firefly-developed and commercial-off-the-shelf valves, regulators, and actuators.
Prepare content for and lead CoDRs, MRRs, PDRs, TRRs, data reviews, and CDRs.
Author and execute qualification and acceptance test plans, including hands-on hardware problem solving.
Standardize solutions across programs and product lines.
Identify and implement cost-saving and risk-reduction measures to improve mission cadence.
Lead cross-functional teams of analysts, manufacturing engineers, quality engineers, supply chain representatives, and test engineers to deliver tested hardware on time.
Resolve non-conformances and implement design changes to improve product yield and manufacturability.
Work with program teams to develop hardware upgrades aligned with performance and cost goals.
Develop simulation-based design methods and validate them through subscale and full-scale testing.
Lead failure investigations, determine root causes, and implement mitigations.
Qualify existing and new product lines in accordance with SMC-S-016 and S-080, as applicable.
Manage multiple projects and competing priorities.