Senior Propulsion Engineer (Alpha)

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE

As an end-to-end space transportation company, Firefly Aerospace is on a mission to enable our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

About the Role

The Alpha Engines team is responsible for the design, integration, and operation of the Reaver and Lightning engines. As a Responsible Engineer, you will work across the full lifecycle of hardware, including requirements definition, design, analysis, development, test, and qualification of the engine systems. In this role, you will lead CAD design and analysis efforts, collaborate with fabrication and integration teams to build and assemble the system, and support vehicle testing and launch operations. The Alpha Engines team requires deep technical knowledge, ownership of hardware from concept to flight, and clear communication with cross-functional partners including structures, propulsion, avionics, and vehicle systems. The successful candidate will be a self-starter who enjoys challenging assumptions, thrives in a fast-paced development environment, and seeks to make impactful contributions to Firefly’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate full ownership of launch vehicle engine system hardware from concept to flight
• Serve as the propulsion representative for Alpha engine testing, stage testing, and launch operations
• Author and lead test readiness, launch readiness, and data review presentations
• Continuously build and iterate on tools to optimize efficiency, performance, and predictability of Alpha operations
• Lead development of innovative design concepts for propulsion integration and operations that reduce complexity and maximize reliability within program constraints.
• Author and present detailed design review presentations to internal and external stakeholders
• Plan, coordinate, and execute development, qualification, and acceptance testing of flight hardware, including data analysis and reviews
• Identify system-level risks, perform trade studies, and drive decisions to ensure successful vehicle operation
• Develop and maintain automation tools and test data analysis capabilities
• Collaborate with manufacturing and integration teams to develop processes, work instructions, and test procedures, and provide direct build support

Qualifications

Required

• B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering discipline
• We have multiple opportunities at appropriate levels for applicants with 2-10+ years of experience.
• Experience testing or operating complex engineering systems
• Thorough understanding of fluid dynamics and thermody