Senior Electrical & Avionics Systems Engineer (Remote)

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.

Summary

A Firefly Senior Avionics Systems Engineer is responsible for the design, development, and testing of avionics systems on our spacecraft. In this role, you lead and develop the avionics systems, requirements verifications, and component/system level test campaigns. You also help developed and design the HIL system in order to verify functionality before spacecraft integration, interfacing with software, mechanical, propulsion, fluids, and structures teams to ensure the proper functionality of the integrated solution. You are responsible for developing and executing development schedules, system-level test and operations plans, technical mentoring of Jr. engineers and supporting launch day and on-orbit operations. You will be responsible for assisting the AIT team in proving-out functionality of all avionics systems onboard the integrated vehicles. Previous spacecraft experience is highly preferred and electrical hands-on experience is required. This role relies on strong electrical engineering principles in both analog and digital design.

Responsibilities

• Own the entire process of designing the electrical architecture, testing and integrating avionics components onto the spacecraft
• Support assembly, integration, and test (AIT), launch integration, and on-orbit operations
• Intuitively understand the intention behind design decisions, and direct assembly and test operations based on those intentions
• Write and execute vehicle assembly procedures and electrical system functional validation processes
• Lead high-level, functional design and development of avionics systems for the current and future spacecraft
• Develop design verification, qualification, and acceptance test plans, and coordinate with the other avionics and manufacturing engineers and technicians to execute
• Recommend spacecraft function and reliability upgrades based on experience
• Requirement writing and verification for spacecraft avionics

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
• 7+ years of experience working with aerospace component development, testing, integration, or operations
• 5+ years of experience in electrical engineering in both analog and digital circuit design, including usage of test equipment such as logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, signal generators, electronic loads, multimeters, and interpreting electrical schematics
• Experience performing trade studies and sensitivity studies to select the best architecture option
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with prototyping circuits and testing
• Requirement writing and verification
• Candidate must have a proactive mentality with the ability to self-start
• Experience with Python
• Strong electrical troubleshooting experience with the ability to drive problems to root-cause and closure
• Lead and mentor the team responsible for the development of design concepts and architectures to support Firefly’s current and future spacecraft

Desired

• Experience with spacecraft avionics systems design, development, production, test, and operations
• Experience with Power engineering, design, budgeting, and test
• Experience in software engineering, especially C, C++, Python, and Labview
• Experience with project planning, subcontractor management, and other project management skills
• Experience in industry standard root cause corrective analysis techniques, such as fault tree and fishbone analysis
• Experience in PCB and Hardware design
• Experience in the V-model design methodology
• Experience in Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) / Fault Tree / Fishbone root-cause methodology
• Experience in GND and Bonding design of spacecraft
• Experience with environmental analysis and testing, including thermal cycling, thermal vacuum, shock, and vibration
• Familiar with NASA GEVS or SMC-016 environmental testing
• Familiar with MIL-STD461 EMC Testing
• Ability to collaborate effectively with other engineering disciplines and regulatory authorities.

Work Environment & Expectations

This is a primarily remote position, offering flexibility for day-to-day work. However, employees are expected to be onsite in Cedar Park, TX during their first week for orientation and onboarding. Additionally, this role requires quarterly onsite attendance in Cedar Park, TX for team collaboration, planning sessions, and key business initiatives. Candidates should be comfortable with periodic travel and in-person engagement as part of the role.

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, 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.

Key skills/competency

• Senior Electrical & Avionics Systems Engineer
• Avionics Systems Design
• Electrical Engineering
• Analog and Digital Circuit Design
• Test and Integration
• Requirement Writing and Verification
• Python
• Troubleshooting
• Team Leadership
• Spacecraft Systems