Hiring: Deputy Director, Mechanical Engineering Company: Firefly Aerospace Location: Cedar Park, TX Job Posted Time: 2026-09-16 12:52:00 Target Skills & Keywords : AutoCAD, CAD, Siemens NX About the job Experience: •B.S. in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field. •10+ years of experience in mechanical and/or structural design, analysis, and qualification for aerospace systems. •Demonstrated experience owning technical decisions, design reviews, change control, and NCR/RCCA disposition. •Proven ability to translate complex technical problems into clear, defensible engineering decisions backed by physics, data, and sound judgment. •FEM/FEA and classical hand analysis and verification methods Required Skills: •Serve as technical authority and approver for mechanical hardware decisions, including design changes, ECOs/CRs, and release packages; ensure trades, assumptions, analyses, and test data are technically sound and defensible. •Lead and arbitrate cross-disciplinary technical trades impacting vehicle performance, reliability, manufacturability, and certification. •Own mechanical and structural requirements, verification methods, compliance evidence, and acceptance criteria. •Guide and approve analysis methodologies and reports, including FEA, classical hand calculations, margins philosophy, loads & dynamics, and test correlation. •Drive hardware development and qualification test definition, standards, and guidelines. •Provide technical oversight of test operations, including test readiness reviews and evaluation of test plans for thoroughness, quality, and adherence to applicable standards. •Execution Support & Issue Resolution •Partner with Manufacturing, Reliability/Quality, and Program teams to resolve integration, build, and production issues and ensure integration-ready hardware. Qualifications: •M.S. or PhD in a relevant discipline. •Expertise in advanced structures, such as composites, bonded assemblies, cryogenic tanks, reusable structures, or high-rate production environments. •Strong cross-disciplinary instincts; able to connect structures decisions to propulsion, mechanisms, loads & dynamics, and integration constraints. •Strong design and integration skills using 3D CAD software (Siemens NX preferred). •Demonstrated experience with industry FEA/FEM tools. •Solid functional working knowledge of at least one computer or scripting language at a hobbyist level or professional. •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. Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!