Flight Software Manager, Blue Ghost

Blue Ghost Flight Software Manager

As the Blue Ghost Flight Software Manager at Firefly Aerospace, you will lead the flight software team responsible for developing, integrating, verifying, and supporting mission‑critical software for Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar landers. In this role, you will manage the technical team delivering spacecraft flight software, driving software execution across requirements, design, implementation, test, mission integration, and flight operations support. This position combines hands‑on technical judgment with people leadership.

• Lead the Blue Ghost flight software team supporting lunar lander development, integration, test, and mission operations.
• Own all aspects of team staffing including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, workforce planning, and contractor support.
• Conduct performance evaluations and drive career development through mentorship and coaching of software engineers at all levels.
• Set flight software objectives and communicate priorities to team members, program leadership, and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Manage flight software execution across requirements, architecture, implementation, integration, verification, validation, release, and operational support.
• Drive adoption, extension, and mission‑specific application of Firefly’s flight software framework for Blue Ghost lander missions.
• Establish and improve flight software development processes, coding standards, review practices, test expectations, and release discipline.
• Coordinate with GNC, embedded software, avionics, electrical, systems engineering, simulation, mission operations, and test teams to deliver integrated spacecraft capabilities.
• Interface with program managers and mission stakeholders to allocate team responsibilities, establish schedules, and manage software deliverables.
• Support mission readiness reviews, test campaigns, rehearsals, anomaly investigations, and flight operations.
• Develop and manage team budget inputs, annual operating plans, resource forecasts, and software capability roadmaps.
• Identify technical gaps, execution risks, staffing needs, and investment priorities for Blue Ghost flight software.
• Foster a healthy team culture and maintain high morale in a demanding technical and operational environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of experience developing embedded, real‑time, aerospace, spacecraft, launch vehicle, defense, robotics, or other mission‑critical software.
• 5+ years of technical team leadership experience, including direct management of engineers and technical staff.
• Demonstrated experience delivering software for complex hardware systems through integration, verification, and operational use.
• Strong technical understanding of embedded software architecture, real‑time systems, command and telemetry, fault management, device interfaces, and software/hardware integration.
• Experience establishing software engineering standards, development processes, test practices, and release discipline.
• Proven ability to recruit, hire, develop, and retain high‑performing technical talent.
• Demonstrated success building team capabilities through mentorship, training, and career development.
• Experience managing team schedules, priorities, budgets, resource planning, and workforce forecasting.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to convey complex technical concepts to executives, customers, and non‑software stakeholders.
• Ability to foster a collaborative team culture while meeting demanding mission schedules.
• Experience with C or C++ in Linux, embedded Linux, RTOS, or bare‑metal environments.
• Experience with JPL’s F‑Prime software framework or a similar component‑based flight software framework.
• Experience developing flight software for spacecraft, lunar landers, launch vehicles, satellites, or deep‑space missions.
• Experience with NASA, JPL, or other government aerospace software development practices.
• Experience with spacecraft subsystems including avionics, GNC, propulsion, power, thermal, communications, and payload interfaces.
• Experience with…