Manufacturing Engineer III, Machine Shop

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE

As an end-to-end responsive space company, Firefly Aerospace is on a mission to enable our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. Our small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles allow us to service the entire lifecycle of government and commercial missions from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. We utilize carbon composite structures, patented propulsion technologies, and common components across our vehicles to iterate quickly, improve reliability, and deliver payloads at a lower cost.

We are seeking a detail-oriented and innovative Process Engineer to join our Machine Shop manufacturing team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for developing, optimizing, and sustaining manufacturing process documentation to ensure efficient production, high quality, and continuous improvement. This position will be in Briggs, Texas at our Rocket Ranch!

• Participate in the development, documentation and optimization of manufacturing processes for CNC machining, turning, milling, and related operations.
• Create and maintain digital work instructions to guide operators in the execution of manufacturing tasks.
• Design and implement digital inspection sheets for in-process and final part verification, integrating with quality management systems (QMS).
• Collaborate with CNC programmers, quality engineers, and Machinists to ensure processes are efficient, repeatable, and meet quality standards.
• Identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve cycle times, and minimize scrap or rework.
• Participate in the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) by developing and validating manufacturing processes and tooling.
• Train shop floor personnel on new procedures and digital tools.

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or 3+ years related experience.
• 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing/process engineering role, preferably in a machine shop environment.
• Understanding of machining processes, tooling, and fixtures.
• Experience with manufacturing ERP systems.
• Familiarity with digital manufacturing tools such as electronic work instructions, inspection software, and data collection systems.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.

• Experience with Industry 4.0 technologies and digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience with inspection tools
• Familiarity with AS9100 or ISO 9001 quality standards.
• CIMCO experience
• Experience with CAD/CAM software.

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