Principal Systems Engineer – Launch Vehicle

Firefly Aerospace

Principal Systems Engineer at Firefly Aerospace collaborating with teams to deliver reliable launch vehicles. Ownership of mission requirements and supporting successful space missions.

Posted 6/19/2026full-timeBriggs • Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Assembly

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own the traceability, vehicle-wide, between requirements, design data, qualification/acceptance test data, performance capabilities, and as-built records.
Serve as internal auditor and champion iterative improvements to ensure rapid auditability of every essential verification activity performed for each Alpha vehicle.
Innovate Firefly's Mission Assurance process, creating structured flexibility to meet the needs of programs - ranging from Class D Missions to Category 2 Launch Vehicles - applying the appropriate level of rigor.
Support Root Cause Investigations, by contribution or by leading them directly, as appropriate.
Support the Alpha Systems Engineering team in driving steady progress in the change control and risk review boards, mentor owners of changes and risks to meet the standard of rigor and responsiveness as appropriate.
Set the standard for actionable, high signal-to-noise ratio analyses that drive progress and continuous improvement.
Functional Hazard Analysis (FHA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), etc
Probability of failure analysis, Deorbit Analysis, Debris Risk Analysis, Trajectory Analyses, etc.
Work directly with the Mission Management and Regulatory teams on customer, FAA, and Range deliverables.
Create training, present lectures, and mentor Systems Engineers and Subsystem Leads for standard tailoring, requirements, test plans, change and risk ownership, and mission assurance analyses; gather and execute process and tool feature requests from them to empower them.
Be a force-enabler for the engineering and operations teams at Firefly by continuously eliminating non-value-added overhead across the organization; identify opportunities for automation and implement them.
Travel to support off-site integration activities, testing, and launch operations as needed. (~4-6x/ year)
Support static fire and LV walkdowns.
Drive all NCRs that gate static fire or launch to closure.
Serve as surge support for other teams by performing functions such as: Becoming a subject matter expert on key program system requirements. Effectively communicating at a technical level across all program disciplines to help guide each team towards compliance.
Write, revise, and maintain interface control documents.

Requirements

What you’ll need

BS in Aerospace Engineering or related engineering discipline required
10+ years of focused hands-on experience in an interdisciplinary execution role on spacecraft; equivalent work will be considered.
Firm comprehension and demonstrated application of first principles in engineering disciplines (orbital mechanics, controls, mechanical, structural dynamics, electrical, mechatronics, materials, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and propulsion).
Strong working knowledge of fabrication and assembly methodologies, production management tools, and quality control processes.
Experience leading interdisciplinary project teams, including hardware and software engineers.
Strong working knowledge of ASME, MIL, ASTM, and/or NASA Standards, as well as Systems Engineering best practices able to adapt processes to meet the needs of the team.
Exceptional communication (written and verbal), public speaking, and presentation skills.

Benefits

Comp & perks

generous health, dental, and vision plans with low plan deductibles
parental leave
educational reimbursement
short-term disability
flexible PTO options

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Functional Hazard AnalysisFault Tree AnalysisFailure Modes Effects and Criticality AnalysisProbability of failure analysisDeorbit AnalysisDebris Risk AnalysisTrajectory Analysesfirst principles in engineeringfabrication methodologiesassembly methodologies

Soft Skills

exceptional communicationpublic speakingpresentation skillsmentoringleadershipinterdisciplinary collaborationcontinuous improvementanalytical thinkingproblem-solvingprocess improvement