Ground Software Manager, Launch Vehicles

Ground Software Manager, Launch Vehicles About Firefly Aerospace

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.

As the Launch Vehicles Ground Software Manager at Firefly Aerospace, you will lead the team responsible for designing, developing, deploying, and operating the software systems that enable Firefly's launch vehicles test and launch operations. You will manage the engineers who build mission‑critical ground software used to command, monitor, and automate launch vehicle processing, engine testing, integrated vehicle testing, countdown, and launch.

This role combines technical leadership with organizational management. You will be responsible for building and leading a high‑performing engineering organization while driving the technical architecture, execution strategy, and long‑term evolution of Firefly's launch vehicle ground software capabilities.

Working closely with avionics, flight software, propulsion, systems engineering, launch operations, IT, and safety teams, you will ensure Firefly's ground software provides reliable, scalable, and secure command‑and‑control capabilities for both ground hardware and launch vehicles throughout development, test, and flight operations.

• Lead the Launch Vehicle Ground Software team supporting engine testing, vehicle integration, launch site operations, countdown, launch, and post‑launch activities.
• Own all aspects of team staffing including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, mentoring, career development, and performance management.
• Establish technical vision and software architecture for Firefly's launch vehicle ground systems.
• Guide development of service‑oriented and distributed software architectures supporting mission‑critical operations.
• Oversee execution across software requirements, architecture, implementation, verification, validation, deployment, and operational support.
• Coordinate software development supporting launch pads, test stands, hardware‑in‑the‑loop environments, and integrated vehicle testing.
• Partner with systems engineering to define operational concepts, software requirements, interfaces, verification strategies, and system architectures.
• Ensure software systems provide reliable command, control, telemetry processing, automation, visualization, and health monitoring for launch vehicle operations.
• Drive software deployment strategies across development, integration, test, and production operational environments.
• Establish and maintain software engineering processes including architecture reviews, design reviews, configuration management, release management, verification, and operational readiness.
• Travel to and support launch campaigns, major test events, anomaly investigations, mission rehearsals, and real‑time launch operations.
• Manage team staffing plans, technical roadmaps, and long‑term capability investments.
• Foster a culture focused on engineering excellence, operational reliability, safety, continuous improvement, and collaboration.

• BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience developing or delivering software for mission‑critical, industrial control, aerospace, defense, robotics, launch vehicle, spacecraft, or other high‑reliability systems.
• 5+ years of experience leading technical engineering teams with direct management responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience delivering complex command‑and‑control software systems supporting hardware…