What are the responsibilities and job description for the Project Engineer position at Firehawk?
Company Overview
Firehawk Aerospace is a leading propulsion-focused aerospace and defense company located in Addison, TX. Our innovative approach empowers us to design and manufacture cutting-edge solid and hybrid rocket motors and engines. We aim to push the boundaries of propulsion technology to serve both commercial and defense sectors.
This position will be full-time located at our Addison, TX facilities with occasional travel potentially required to other Firehawk sites (approximately 10%).
Role Summary
Firehawk Aerospace is seeking a Project Engineer to lead and technically manage the development of novel propulsion systems. The Project Engineer will interface with our research, design, manufacturing, and test teams to ensure that technical and schedule milestones are met. The Project Engineer will also coordinate with Program Management communicating technical, schedule, and cost performance.
The ideal candidate should be an effective communicator who works well in teams and can communicate well with all levels of the organization. They should possess broad knowledge and experience with hardware development within a defense or aerospace environment and have previous experience as an Integrated Product Team (IPT) Lead or equivalent responsible role. The position will report directly to the Chief Engineer and will support all areas of the organization (Design, Development, Testing, Manufacturing, and Production).
Responsibilities
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.
Work Environment And Physical Requirements
Employees in these positions must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and to use standard office equipment, including a computer; stamina to sit and to maintain attention to detail despite interruptions; may occasionally lift/carry/push/pull up to 25 pounds; may require minimal walking, standing for extended amounts of time, climbing, crouching, and/or bending; and vision to read printed materials and a computer screen, and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. May require the ability to travel by air or auto. May require the use of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, safety shoes, and shop coats.
Security Clearance
May be required to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance at the appropriate level. Requires U.S. Citizenship. Must also be able to satisfy federal government requirements for access to government information, and having dual citizenship may preclude you from being able to meet this requirement.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Firehawk Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firehawk Aerospace is governed on the basis of 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.
Firehawk Aerospace is a leading propulsion-focused aerospace and defense company located in Addison, TX. Our innovative approach empowers us to design and manufacture cutting-edge solid and hybrid rocket motors and engines. We aim to push the boundaries of propulsion technology to serve both commercial and defense sectors.
This position will be full-time located at our Addison, TX facilities with occasional travel potentially required to other Firehawk sites (approximately 10%).
Role Summary
Firehawk Aerospace is seeking a Project Engineer to lead and technically manage the development of novel propulsion systems. The Project Engineer will interface with our research, design, manufacturing, and test teams to ensure that technical and schedule milestones are met. The Project Engineer will also coordinate with Program Management communicating technical, schedule, and cost performance.
The ideal candidate should be an effective communicator who works well in teams and can communicate well with all levels of the organization. They should possess broad knowledge and experience with hardware development within a defense or aerospace environment and have previous experience as an Integrated Product Team (IPT) Lead or equivalent responsible role. The position will report directly to the Chief Engineer and will support all areas of the organization (Design, Development, Testing, Manufacturing, and Production).
Responsibilities
- Lead small, multi-disciplinary team in the design, development, integration, and test of novel solid and hybrid rocket propulsion systems
- Own integrated planning and day-to-day team execution across requirements, design, analysis, prototyping, test, manufacturing readiness, and transition to production
- Drive program execution to technical, cost, schedule, and risk targets
- Prepare and maintain integrated plans, schedules, risk registers, and metrics
- Support Earned Value and baseline change control where applicable
- Coordinate across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Test Operations, and Safety to meet program requirements
- Deliver technical reviews, status, and risk/opportunity updates.
- Make project decisions considering technical merit, safety, cost, and schedule
- Ensure entry/exit criteria are met for key technical decision gates (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR)
- Apply systems engineering rigor: requirements development and traceability, interface control, verification and validation.
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering (e.g., Mechanical, Aerospace, Systems) or Engineering Management
- 8 years of professional experience in research or engineering, including hardware development in aerospace or defense
- Demonstrated project planning and management skills in a fast-paced R&D environment
- Strong technical background in one or more: mechanical design, structural analysis, thermal analysis, internal ballistics/SRM performance, combustion/CFD, or test engineering
- Experience leading crossCom-functional teams (matrix leadership), with clear communication across all organizational levels
- Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to produce clear technical documents, reviews, and status reports
- Commitment to safety, reliability, innovation, efficiency, and teamwork
- Ability to travel to other Firehawk sites and supplier/test locations (~10%) to support project needs
- U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain a security clearance
- Advanced degree in Engineering or Engineering Management
- 3 years of demonstrated leadership as an Integrated Product Team (IPT) Lead or Project Lead
- Experience with project management tools and integrated schedules and generating plans, schedules, and risk registers
- Experience with proposal development, writing, and BOEs; familiarity with estimating and basis of estimate best practices
- Hands-on experience with propulsion development and test, including test planning, instrumentation, and data analysis
- Well-versed in systems engineering practices: requirements management, verification/validation, risk management, and configuration management
- Experience working on DoD/NASA programs with technical reviews (SRR/PDR/CDR/TRR/FRR)
- Active or previous DoD 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.
Work Environment And Physical Requirements
Employees in these positions must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and to use standard office equipment, including a computer; stamina to sit and to maintain attention to detail despite interruptions; may occasionally lift/carry/push/pull up to 25 pounds; may require minimal walking, standing for extended amounts of time, climbing, crouching, and/or bending; and vision to read printed materials and a computer screen, and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. May require the ability to travel by air or auto. May require the use of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, safety shoes, and shop coats.
Security Clearance
May be required to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance at the appropriate level. Requires U.S. Citizenship. Must also be able to satisfy federal government requirements for access to government information, and having dual citizenship may preclude you from being able to meet this requirement.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Firehawk Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firehawk Aerospace is governed on the basis of 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.