Mechanical Engineer III

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.

SUMMARY Firefly is looking for talented Mechanical or Aerospace Engineers to join our Primary Structures Team. As a Senior or Lead Structures Responsible Engineer for Primary Structures, you will develop our state-of-the-art pressurized structures throughout the product life cycle for Launch Vehicles. You will be part of a highly skilled, dynamic team that will involve you in all aspects of analysis, design, fabrication, and testing.

Excellent collaboration and communication skills, along with a can-do attitude are critical.

RESPONSIBILITIES Formulate the comprehensive cradle to grave Road Map for your hardware - owning conceptual design, structural layout, sizing analysis, hardware production, and structural testing

Design and development of composite pressurized structures

Mass optimization of existing designs and requalifying designs

Supporting products from conceptual creation, design release, analysis, prototype, qual and production

Support configuration development and trade studies

Maintain requirements, activity schedule, budget, and status

Create CAD, manufacturing drawings, specifications, and other documentation

Perform first order strength and sizing calculations for your structureQUALIFICATIONSRequiredB.S. degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering6+ years of experience in a structural system design-related role Strong design and integration skills using 3-D CAD software (Siemens NX / Fiber Sim preferable).Ability to effectively work in a multi-discipline team and provide technical guidance and insight.

Experience with industry FEA/FEM tools like Nastran, ANSYS, FEMAP, Simcenter, etc.

A passion for the structures!

Desired Experience taking hardware from analysis, through test, and back through analysis validation

Familiarity with aerospace standard structural analysis methods (Bruhn, Niu, Roark, etc)
Working knowledge of composite manufacturing methods, material selection, testing, and characterization

Demonstrated experience with composite structures and manufacturing techniques

Bonus Points

Experience with Pressurant or Propellant tanks

Experience with filament wound and/or AFP structures

Passion for very big Pressurized Structures.

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