Composite M&P Engineer III

About the role

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. The Composite M&P Engineer III will apply their broad technical knowledge and experience to support design, manufacturing, testing and R&D projects.

Responsibilities

• Research and select composite materials and processes for structural applications on existing or new designs.
• Design, lead and perform related material testing and evaluations, such as microscopy, failure analysis, thermal analysis techniques and mechanical testing.
• Execute characterization and allowable campaigns.
• Develop, implement and maintain materials and processes technical specifications.
• Drive statistically driven experimental design and process improvement campaigns.
• Provide technical support for manufacturing and design teams in the areas of non-metallic material and processes selection and optimization, qualification, and inspection that impact product quality, reliability, durability, and capability.
• Lead or support material failure analysis and root cause corrective actions (RCCA).
• Define or refine materials technology roadmaps and partner with internal and external Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Universities, National Labs, etc. to advance materials development for Firefly products in advance of business need.
• Provide guidance, coaching and training to other materials engineering employees, mentors junior staff and broadly shares experience and knowledge across the organization.
• Represent Firefly on various industry task groups related to metallic materials and manufacturing (AMS, ASM, Nadcap, SAMPE, etc.).
• Develop and implement improved process control where possible using test and NDE results as a feedback loop.

Qualifications

Required: Bachelors degree in Materials Engineering, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent Engineering/Science role. 5+ years of experience in polymeric materials research, testing or manufacturing. Broad technical understanding of several composite material processes and operations including, but not limited to, out-of-autoclave processes, composites and polymer joining and surface engineering for aerospace applications.

Desired: Advanced degrees in Materials Engineering, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience with emphasis on Composite materials. 7+ years of experience in carbon fiber composite materials research, testing, processes or manufacturing. Direct experience in carbon fiber prepreg systems. Prior knowledge of structural composite characterization, testing standards and processing.

Benefits

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.