Senior Program Manager, Eclipse

Job description

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to 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. Job Description SUMMARY Eclipse is the medium-lift launch vehicle Firefly is developing with Northrop Grumman. The first flight vehicle is in build today, followed by rate production, and then a path to reusability. Taking a new launch vehicle from first article into rate production is a rare opportunity in this industry, and this role sits at the center of it. Firefly is seeking a Senior Program Manager to lead execution on Eclipse. This person owns the integrated master schedule, the daily and weekly cadence, and the program's blocker list, serving as the Senior Director's execution partner and the program's most reliable source of ground truth. The work carries real visibility, reaching the CTO and the customer. The role is built to grow, with responsibility expanding as the program does. Firefly also expects this Program Manager to build the tooling the program runs on: schedule and status dashboards, trackers, and automated reporting, with AI applied to the manual work of status consolidation and schedule analysis so that time goes to clearing blockers rather than producing reports. The role is based at Firefly's Briggs, TX test and production site, where the hardware is built and tested. Relocation support is available. Candidates who meet most of the qualifications below are encouraged to apply. RESPONSIBILITIES Own the Eclipse integrated master schedule and the critical path to first stage delivery. Run the execution cadence: daily standups, weekly sprints with must-win deliverables, and task-level tracking down to the manufacturing order. Clear blockers the day they are raised, and keep the team supplied, informed, and focused. Set milestone gate criteria and run the gates. Manage inter-team and customer dependencies so hand-offs do not fail. Own the tactical risk register and the issues list, and drive both to closure. Consolidate Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Test, and Quality into one program status, including spend and burn tracked with Finance. Report weekly on progress, velocity, and forecast confidence, and prepare executive and customer status material for the Senior Director. Give the Senior Director an honest assessment of readiness, progress, and morale. Build the program's dashboards, trackers, and reporting, applying AI to status consolidation and schedule analysis. Support planning for the production ramp as the program scales. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent experience 8+ years in aerospace program management, technical project leadership, or production program roles 3+ years as a scrum master, agile program manager, or equivalent execution role Track record of delivering complex technical programs on schedule Advanced proficiency with MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or similar, including critical path method, resource loading, and schedule risk analysis Command of plan mechanics: how schedule and cost move together, baseline change impacts, where float sits, burn against physical progress Experience building program tooling, such as dashboards, trackers, or automated reporting Applied AI in a program execution context, with sound judgment about its limits Strong facilitation and clear communication with technicians, engineers, and executives Willingness to provide an honest assessment of program health, including when the news is unwelcome. DESIRED Launch vehicle, spacecraft, or comparable complex aerospace development, integration, or test experience Production ramp or rate scaling experience Engine or large structures development, qualification, or production Agile methods applied to hardware development Scripting, Power BI, or Smartsheet and Jira automation applied to program reporting Mentoring or developing program management and scheduling talent Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, relocation benefits, 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. 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.