Manager, Mechanical Engineering-GSE

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Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company on a mission to reliably and repeatedly launch, land, and operate space systems from Earth to the Moon and beyond. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the first commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the first company to achieve a successful Moon landing.

Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

Lead the mechanical backbone of Firefly's ground infrastructure as the MGSE (Mechanical Ground Support Equipment) Engineering Manager. This isn't just engineering management - it's architecting and delivering the physical systems that launch rockets and get spacecraft to orbit. From fast-acting, precision hydraulic systems to massive steel structures supporting multi-million-dollar missions, your team will design, build, and commission the mechanical systems that make space access possible.

As the Mechanical Engineering Manager for Ground Systems, you'll lead an expert team of engineers responsible for the mechanical and structural aspects of Firefly's ground support equipment across test stands, launch sites, and numerous production/integration facilities and programs.

Your responsibilities span Test Stand and Launch Sites, vehicle integration hardware, fast acting and high precision hydraulic systems, and structures that create or maintain safe environments for test, integration, or launch. When Firefly needs a new test stand, your team designs the superstructure, mechanical interfaces, dynamic systems, and works as embedded support for the structures supporting the fluid systems on the stand.

When a launch site requires an upgrade, your engineers are the ones called to solve the problem. This role demands both technical depth and leadership excellence.

You'll manage 15+ mechanical engineers and designers working on concurrent projects worth millions of dollars. You'll make critical design decisions and trade resolutions, validate structural load calculations, oversee functional checkouts of new hardware, and work with your internal customers across Firefly to support the growing needs before they arise. You'll navigate complex technical trade-offs between performance, cost, schedule, and risk. And you'll represent MGSE capabilities to executive leadership, customers, and external stakeholders.

You and your team will own the concept of operations for new hardware and ensuring it suits both current and future needs of the end user. Your team will support active operations by performing stress analysis on equipment currently in operation, make judgement calls on acceptable levels of design margin, and solve vibration or thermal management challenges that few engineers ever face.

This is a role where mechanical engineering meets mission success. When your launch mount successfully supports a vehicle through liftoff, when your team's structural design withstands the extreme environment of a hot fire, when a multi-million dollar payload is safely fueled and integrated with the rocket葉hat's your impact. If you're a mechanical engineering leader who thrives on complex technical challenges, loves building high-performing teams, and wants to see your systems enable humanity's expansion into space, this is your opportunity to lead from the front.

• Lead and manage MGSE engineering team of 15+ mechanical engineers, designers, and technical staff
• Recruit, hire, and develop top mechanical engineering talent
• Set team goals, provide coaching and mentorship, and conduct performance reviews
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, innovation, collaboration, and accountability
• Build cross-functional working relationships with other GSE Engineering teams, GSE Fabrication, Test Operations, Launch Operations, Integration, and vehicle Engineering
• Develop succession plans and career paths for mechanical engineers

• Own mechanical design and engineering for MGSE systems including structures, mechanical handling equipment, integration jibs, test adapters, transport fixtures, and lift…