LV Flight Safety & Licensing Specialist

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE

As an end-to-end space transportation company, Firefly Aerospace is on a mission to enable our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the surface of 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

We are seeking an outstanding individual to lead critical regulatory efforts vital to our international and domestic Alpha launch vehicle missions. This position will be a key interface with various government agencies to obtain required approvals for launch. Their deliverables will include flight safety documentation, FAA and communications licensing, and other mission requirements. You will interface and coordinate with the launch vehicle design teams, ground support equipment, test and internal Firefly regulatory counterparts to ensure government requirements are implemented in the vehicle design, pad design and testing documentation. You will be an invaluable part of the launch process as final approvals are obtained for flight.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own and be responsible for obtaining a Part 450 license for Firefly’s launch site at Esrange, Sweden
• Own and be responsible for the compilation of required documents for launch vehicle missions
• Spearhead efforts to make regulatory a fundamental part of Firefly by expanding not just the teams respect, but their overall knowledge, understanding, and power of correct implementation
• Collaborate with internal Firefly regulatory counterparts and relevant departments when necessary to support other launch sites and business ventures
• Manage the development and coordination of the key mission, regulatory, business, safety, performance and interface requirements and track them to ensure accuracy and critical on time deliveries.
• Track implementation of these requirements and collect required documentation
• Interface with various outside agencies such as the Swedish Space Corporation, SLD 30 and SLD 45, NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia Spaceport Authority, the FAA, FCC, and other groups as required
• Identify areas of improvement to streamline the launch vehicle licensing process
• Interface between the above-mentioned leads, the Firefly engineering teams, and outside commercial and government customers
• Requires up to 25% travel to launch sites and conferences to support the overall program needs

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelors’ degree in a STEM field, J.D., or international equivalent.
• Experience in FAA and DoD launch licensing
• Strong organizational abilities including action item tracking, the ability to meet deadlines, produce quality work quickly, and synthesize inputs across multiple teams
• Able to consolidate multiple requirements into concise, actionable items
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Excellent computer skills specifically related to modern applications like Jira and Confluence systems
• Strong writing and documentation skills using Microsoft products

Desired

• Formal or informal education in engineering and J.D. or L.L.Mn in Space Law/Administrative Law degree is a plus
• Experience in confluence, Jira, Bitbucket and other Atlassian fields
• Experience in FAA Part 417 launch licensing
• Experience working the tailoring process with governmental agencies
• Experience in international FAA Part 450 launch licensing
• Experience in FAA Part 420 Spaceport licensing
• Experience in international communications licensing for launch vehicles
• Experience working with export control laws and regulations
• Experience performing/reviewing system hazard analyses
• Working knowledge of international treaties governing space exploration
• Experience with Swedish environmental laws and Esrange ground safety requirements
• Experience working in the aerospace industry
• Experience interfacing with government agencies
• Basic working knowledge of AFSPCMAN-91-710, GSFC-STD-8009, RCC-319-14, RCC-324 and similar safety documentation.
• Experience integrating payloads onto launch vehicles

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, pet Insurance, 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.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.