SUMMARY
Firefly is seeking a Mission Configuration Engineer - Launch Vehicles to serve as the technical authority for launch vehicle mission configuration from contract award through launch execution. This role ensures every flight vehicle is configured to satisfy customer mission requirements while maintaining complete configuration control across hardware, software, payload interfaces, ground support equipment, and operational procedures.
Working at the intersection of Systems Engineering, Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Integration & Test, Mission Management, and Launch Operations, you will translate customer mission requirements into executable engineering configurations, ensuring the delivered launch vehicle accurately reflects contractual, technical, and operational objectives.
As the primary technical integration point for assigned missions, you will coordinate engineering changes, manage vehicle configuration baselines, maintain complete lifecycle traceability, and serve as the key interface between customers and internal engineering organizations to ensure mission readiness and successful launch execution.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Serve as the primary technical configuration authority for assigned launch vehicle missions from contract award through launch.
- Act as the primary technical interface between Firefly and customers for mission configuration, ensuring mission-specific technical requirements are fully understood, documented, and implemented.
- Translate customer mission requirements into an integrated launch vehicle configuration, ensuring payload, trajectory, environmental, interface, and operational requirements are accurately incorporated into the flight vehicle.
- Coordinate with customers to review mission-specific changes, resolve technical configuration issues, and ensure contractual mission requirements are fully satisfied.
- Own mission-specific configuration baselines throughout the program lifecycle, ensuring customer-approved changes are accurately reflected across engineering, manufacturing, integration, test, and launch documentation.
- Own end-to-end mission vehicle configuration management, maintaining complete traceability between hardware assemblies, software, mission data, test configurations, operational procedures, and flight documentation.
- Own mission-specific vehicle configurations, ensuring compatibility with customer payloads, launch site infrastructure, trajectory design, environmental requirements, operational constraints, and mission success criteria.
- Partner with subsystem design engineers to maintain accurate engineering metadata, including materials, mass properties, interface definitions, and revision history.
- Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Integration & Test, Mission Operations, and Launch Operations to ensure released configurations accurately reflect vehicle build, test, and flight hardware and meet customer requirements
- Own the vehicle Mass Growth Allowance process, maintaining mass properties predictions and supporting verification throughout the development lifecycle.
- Ensure configuration consistency across CAD, PLM, ERP, manufacturing documentation, software baselines, mission documentation, and operational procedures.
- Drive the release of major mission configuration baselines to support multiple mission specific reviews.
- Support anomaly investigations by establishing accurate "as-designed," "as-built," "as-tested," and "as-flown" vehicle configurations.
- Drive continuous improvement of configuration management processes, digital engineering workflows, systems integration practices, and engineering release procedures.
- Support launch campaigns as required, providing on-site technical configuration support leading up to and during launch operations.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- 3+ years of experience supporting aerospace vehicle development, systems engineering, configuration management, integration, mission engineering, or launch vehicle development.
- Experience managing complex engineering assemblies and configuration-controlled products throughout the product lifecycle.
- Strong understanding of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), engineering change management, configuration management principles, and integrated product development.
- Experience with complex CAD assembly structures and engineering release processes.
- Working knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T), Design for Manufacturing (DFM), and Design for Assembly (DFA).
- Strong understanding of aerospace manufacturing, integration, verification, and quality assurance processes.
- Broad engineering foundation across multiple technical disciplines, including:
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate technical work across multiple engineering organizations while balancing customer, program, and technical priorities.
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, including experience communicating complex technical topics with both engineering teams and customers.
- Ability to travel and support extended schedules during major program milestones and launch campaigns.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Experience supporting launch vehicle, spacecraft, missile, or aircraft development programs.
- Experience serving as a technical interface with commercial, civil, or defense customers throughout the development and execution of complex aerospace programs.
- Experience with digital engineering environments and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems.
- Experience with scripting languages, workflow automation, or engineering process automation.
- Experience using Agile project management tools such as Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket.
- Strong working knowledge of ASME, NASA, ASTM, MIL-STD, and aerospace configuration management standards.
- Experience supporting launch range requirements and tailoring SMC, AFSPCM, NASA, or equivalent launch documentation.
- Experience supporting Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs), Launch Readiness Reviews (LRRs), mission rehearsals, or launch campaigns
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