Propulsion Engineer - Alpha Turbopumps

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.

The Alpha Engines team is responsible for the design, integration, and operation of the Reaver and Lightning engines that power the first and second stages of Firefly's Alpha launch vehicle. As the Turbopump Assembly Responsible Engineer, you will own turbomachinery hardware across its full lifecycle — requirements definition, design, analysis, development, test, qualification, and flight. You will lead the design and analysis efforts of the hardware, collaborate with fabrication and integration teams to manufacture and assemble the system, and support testing and flight operations. You will serve as a turbomachinery subject matter expert for the Alpha Engines team and provide an active voice in engine development, test campaigns, and launch operations.

This role requires deep technical knowledge of rotating machinery, extreme ownership of hardware from concept to flight, and clear communication with cross-functional partners including propulsion, structures, avionics, and vehicle systems. The successful candidate will be a self-starter who enjoys challenging assumptions, thrives in a fast-paced development environment, and seeks to make impactful contributions to Firefly's mission.

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  Demonstrate full ownership of turbopump hardware through the full product life cycle

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  Own the fluid and mechanical design of turbopump components to meet operational requirements

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  Lead design improvement efforts emphasizing reliability and manufacturability upgrades

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  Drive all analyses for turbopump hardware for including fluid, structural, thermal, and dynamic

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  Develop and maintain first-principles tools and models to predict turbopump performance and operability

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  Own tolerance stackups, databooks, and as-built conformance; collaborate with manufacturing and quality to ensure assembled turbopumps meet design intent

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  Plan, coordinate, and execute component and assembly development, qualification, and acceptance testing — defining test configurations and procedures, supporting execution, and leading data review and anomaly resolution

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  Author and present design review, test readiness, and data review presentations to internal and external stakeholders

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  Identify system-level risks, perform trade studies, and drive decisions based on technical merit, risk, cost, schedule, and quality to ensure successful engine and vehicle operation

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  Provide hands-on support for turbopump and engine manufacturing and assembly and assist dispositioning of non-conformances and drive corrective actions

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  Lead development of innovative design concepts that reduce complexity, part count, cost, and lead time while maximizing reliability within program constraints

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  Serve as the turbomachinery representative for Alpha engine testing, stage testing, and launch operations

Required

• B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a related engineering discipline

• We have multiple opportunities at appropriate levels for applicants with 2–10+ years of experience

• Fundamental understanding of rotating machinery

• Strong understanding of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and solid mechanics

• Deep knowledge of engineering fundamentals and a demonstrated history of applying first principles to arrive at simple, robust solutions

• Hands-on experience with hardware design, fabrication, and testing

• Proven experience with CAD and configuration management tools (Siemens NX and Teamcenter preferred), including management of large assemblies, and comprehension of GD&T, tolerancing, and ASME Y14.5

• Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, GFSSP, or other control, data acquisition, and reduction software

• Working knowledge of manufacturing and inspection methods relevant to turbomachinery (precision machining, castings/forgings, additive manufacturing, welding, assembly, and NDT)

• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and technical writing skills

• Proven ability to rapidly develop solutions with partially defined or evolving requirements

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or an equivalent field

• 5+ years of experience developing turbomachinery for launch vehicle, spacecraft, or liquid rocket engine propulsion systems

• Demonstrated experience with full hardware lifecycle ownership, from blank-sheet design through full operation

• Experience designing, analyzing, developing, or testing turbomachinery or other rotating equipment (rocket turbopumps, gas turbines, compressors, industrial pumps, etc.)

• Specialized depth in one or more of: pump/inducer hydrodynamic design, turbine aero-mechanical design, rotordynamics, bearing design, or seal design

• Experience with secondary flow and axial thrust balance modeling, meanline analysis, and cavitation performance prediction and mitigation

• Proficiency with industry analysis tools such as ANSYS (CFX, Fluent, Mechanical, thermal), StarCCM+, BladeGen, Concepts NREC, or rotordynamics software (e.g., XLRotor; SAFE and Campbell diagrams)

• In-depth knowledge of cryogenic, high-pressure, or high-temperature system operations and compatible material selection

• Experience with design for manufacturability of turbomachinery components

• Experience with dynamic/spin balancing and turbopump assembly, integration, and acceptance procedures

• Experience with data acquisition systems and test instrumentation including pressure transducers, thermocouples, RTDs, flow meters, load cells, and accelerometers

• Experience reducing the complexity of large integrated assemblies to reduce part count, cost, and lead time