Payload Integration Engineer

ABOUT

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to 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.

SUMMARY

Firefly is seeking an experienced engineer to manage payload integration for our spacecraft (lunar lander and/or orbital vehicle) program. This person ideally has systems, integration, test, and launch experience, specific to aerospace hardware. The successful candidate will leverage their advanced communication and relationship skills to interface with all engineering disciplines at Firefly involved in the development of spacecraft as well as with outside organizations like the FAA, USAF, NASA, NOAA, and a variety of commercial customers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Act as the primary engineering and programmatic interface between the Firefly engineering teams and NASA and other payload customers.
• Manage the development and coordination of the key mission performance and interface requirements.
• Build and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICD) for interfaces between the customer payload and spacecraft.
• Manage technical issues related to form, fit, and function of the payload(s), loads, dynamic environments, thermal, EMI/EMC, radiation, contamination, mass properties, mechanical interface, electrical interface, data interfaces, software APIs, and operations.
• Coordinate hardware and software related activities including fit checks, spacecraft integration, spacecraft acceptance testing, launch, and operations planning and execution for the full duration mission.
• Lead technical interchange meetings and design reviews with NASA and other customers. Some travel (<10%) may be required.
• Work closely with each engineering discipline within Firefly to help generate and evaluate acceptable analysis factors of safety and test plans that meet both Range requirements and Mission Assurance requirements.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or related field
• Experience integrating payloads or spacecraft
• 3+ years’ experience in the aerospace industry
• Experience working as the primary interface with an external aerospace customer or internal product team
• Basic working knowledge of aerospace qualification and acceptance testing defined by GEVS.
• Basic working knowledge of AFSPCMAN 91-710, MIL-STD-882, RCC-319-14 and NASA Standards 8719.13.
• Excellent communications skills (written and oral). Able to communicate effectively and clearly present technical approaches and findings to peers, management, and external customers.

Desired

• Experience integrating payloads onto spacecraft or spacecraft to launch vehicles
• Experience with deployment mechanisms or with robotics and actuators for spacecraft
• Experience working with vendors
• Experience in writing proposals and in business development
• Experience with risk management and change control

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, pet Insurance, and flexible PTO options.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you 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 the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.