Firefly Aerospace engages in providing economical and convenient access to space for small payloads through the design, manufacture, and operation of reliable launch vehicles. Backed by Space Capital.
About the role
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. Found on 1752vc Careers, the job board for startup and VC roles.
What they're looking for
- Demonstrate full ownership of turbopump hardware through the full product life cycle
- Own the fluid and mechanical design of turbopump components to meet operational requirements
- Lead design improvement efforts emphasizing reliability and manufacturability upgrades
- Drive all analyses for turbopump hardware for including fluid, structural, thermal, and dynamic
- Develop and maintain first-principles tools and models to predict turbopump performance and operability
- Own tolerance stackups, and design databooks, collaborate with manufacturing and quality to ensure assembled turbopumps meet design intent
More about this role
About the Role
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...
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