Principal ADCS Engineer

About Firefly Aerospace

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.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical authority on the attitude determination and control of spacecraft, providing expertise across programs and domains
• Develop and validate novel ADCS methodologies, tools, and best practices for complex or unprecedented mission requirements
• Lead resolution of the most challenging ADCS problems across the organization
• Provide authoritative technical review and oversight of spacecraft ADCS designs, changes, and risks
• Establish technical standards for system design, software development, testing, and requirement verification
• Drive ADCS strategy and roadmap development, identifying capability gaps, investment priorities, and opportunities for adopting emerging technology
• Initiate and execute continuous improvement initiatives for ADCS processes, tools, and operational efficiency
• Represent ADCS expertise in executive-level technical reviews, mission milestone reviews, customer meetings, and proposal efforts
• Participate in critical technical work including algorithm development, test campaign execution, and mission operations support
• Mentor and develop engineers at all levels, cultivating the next generation of technical leaders

Qualifications

• Required Master's degree or PhD in aerospace engineering or related field, or bachelor's degree with substantial technical accomplishments demonstrating analytical rigor equivalent to graduate research
• 10+ years of experience in spacecraft ADCS with demonstrated expertise and technical leadership across multiple programs
• Demonstrated experience supporting operational spacecraft programs through multiple missions
• Mastery of spacecraft attitude dynamics with deep expertise in a specialization area combined with strong understanding across ADCS domains
• Experience developing strategic vision, technical roadmaps, and capability development initiatives for ADCS teams
• Proficiency in the development of flight software and physics simulations for spaceflight applications
• Software engineering expertise with proficiency in development practices including version control, code review, testing, documentation, and CI/CD
• Proficiency with Python, C++, Linux, and specialized tools and libraries relevant to domain
• Comprehensive knowledge of spacecraft subsystems and their impact on ADCS design and performance
• Demonstrated ability to elevate the technical capabilities of engineers through mentorship, developing high performers who strengthen the organization around them
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with an ability to convey complex technical concepts to executives, customers, and non-technical stakeholders

Desired Qualifications

• PhD with research contributions advancing a specialization area relevant to spacecraft ADCS
• Background as a technical leader on operational spacecraft programs from development through multiple successful missions
• Deep expertise in advanced techniques relevant to specialization
• Demonstrated proficiency across multiple ADCS specialization areas
• Proven ability to influence technical direction and drive consensus across multidisciplinary organizations
• Skill in communicating with program management, customers, and executives in both technical and business forums
• Experience leading or supporting anomaly investigations and resolving mission-critical ADCS issues
• History of applying technical expertise to achieve customer mission success and initiate new business opportunities
• Innovation through patents or technical contributions in specialization area
• Track record of thought leadership through publications, presentations, or contributions to industry state-of-the-art

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.

Security Clearance

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.