Instrumentation & Controls Engineer III-Ground Systems

Location: Bertram

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.

About the Role Join Firefly's Ground Systems team as a Level III Instrumentation & Controls Engineer and become the technical authority for the systems that make launch, orbit, and landing possible. This isn't theoretical engineering—it's expert-level design, technical leadership, and strategic direction for the control systems and instrumentation that monitor rocket engines, manage cryogenic propellants, and enable rapid-fire test campaigns across all of Firefly’s programs.

As a Level III engineer, you are the subject matter expert and technical leader. You'll architect complete control system solutions from concept through commissioning, lead complex projects and multiple engineers on time-sensitive initiatives, and serve as the go-to authority when the toughest technical challenges arise. Your control architectures will span all of Firefly's test stands, test fixtures, and launch sites.

Your technical decisions will influence and shape the evolution of rapidly evolving launch and in-space programs. Your expertise will guide the next generation of engineers developing Firefly's ground infrastructure. This role demands technical mastery and leadership. You'll need deep expertise in PLCs, HMIs, data acquisition, and instrumentation—but also the strategic vision to set technical direction, the leadership skills to guide project teams, and the business acumen to support project execution and customer engagement.

You'll work at the highest technical level—defining standards, driving innovation, developing roadmaps, and representing Firefly's I&C capabilities to internal and external stakeholders. You'll lead technical teams through the most complex challenges, make architectural decisions that impact multiple programs, and resolve problems that other engineers escalate to you. When a novel test requirement demands a control solution that doesn't exist yet, you'll architect it.

When a major customer has concerns about data integrity or performance, you'll be in the room explaining our approach. When a critical project needs expert leadership to stay on track, you'll take the reins. If you're a recognized expert in instrumentation and controls who's ready to shape the technical direction of a growing space company, mentor the next generation of engineers, and see your architectural vision enable humanity's expansion into space, this is your opportunity.

Key Responsibilities Technical Leadership & Subject Matter Expertise:

Serve as subject matter expert (SME) for instrumentation and controls across Firefly Lead small technical teams of 1-2 engineers on specific, complex, or time-sensitive projects and initiatives

Create and maintain procedures and standards for design, fabrication, and activation of control systems and control hardware

Drive innovation in control system methodologies, tools, and approaches

Develop long-term technical roadmaps for I&C capabilities and infrastructure

Architect control system solutions for novel applications and complex technical challenges

Provide technical authority and…