10 Firefly Aerospace operations leaders
Ramon Sanchez, Chief Operating Officer, is the most senior of these Firefly Aerospace operations leaders, who also include directors of spacecraft operations, integration and launch operations, manufacturing and ground support equipment, and a launch site director at Wallops. A reader can learn how operations leaders work at Firefly Aerospace from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Adam Oakes
LinkedInExperience: Director of Production · Firefly Aerospace
Adam Oakes is a former Director of Production at Firefly Aerospace, a role held from April 2019 to June 2021 and listed in the operations department, and has been VP, Launch Vehicles there since July 2021, based in the Austin, Texas area. Adam Oakes was Director, Propulsion Production at SpaceX from 2016 to 2018.
Allen Butler
LinkedInExperience: Director of Spacecraft Integration, Test, and Launch Operations · Firefly Aerospace
Allen Butler has been Director of Spacecraft Integration, Test, and Launch Operations at Firefly Aerospace since January 2024, with the role listed in Cedar Park, Texas. Allen Butler was Assembly, Integration and Test Manager at Firefly Aerospace from 2022 to 2024, Senior Payload Integration Manager there from 2021 to 2022 and Principal Systems Engineer at Northrop Grumman from 2020 to 2021.
Bradley Obrocto
LinkedInExperience: Director of Launch Operations · Firefly Aerospace
Bradley Obrocto is a former Director of Launch Operations at Firefly Aerospace, a role held from May 2017 to March 2024 and listed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in the Operations department. Bradley Obrocto was Director of Launch Operations at Astra from 2016 to 2017 and Launch and Integration Manager at Firefly Space Systems from 2014 to 2016, and has worked as a self-employed aerospace and launch consultant since April 2024.
Carter Linville
LinkedInExperience: Director of GSE · Firefly Aerospace
Carter Linville has been Director of GSE at Firefly Aerospace since October 2021, a role the listing places in the Operations department at Director level, based in Austin, Texas. Carter Linville was Senior Director of Engineering & Operations at Greenfield Midstream from 2019 to 2021 and Optimization Manager at DCP Midstream from 2017 to 2019.
Dan Fermon
LinkedInExperience: Chief Operating Officer · Firefly Aerospace
Dan Fermon is a former Chief Operating Officer at Firefly Aerospace, a role held from October 2022 to December 2025, and describes leading the company's transition from R&D to production, including revamping business and operational processes. Dan Fermon was a Vice President at AE Industrial Partners from 2021 to 2022 and has been Chief Operating Officer at Torus since March 2026, based in the Salt Lake City area.
Jeffrey Kaplan
LinkedInExperience: Director, Electrical Components Manufacturing · Firefly Aerospace
Jeffrey Kaplan has been Director, Electrical Components Manufacturing at Firefly Aerospace since December 2024, based in Austin, Texas. Jeffrey Kaplan was Corporate Director of Manufacturing Engineering at Spartronics from 2022 to 2024 and Director Of Engineering, RF & Microwave at Winchester Interconnect from 2017 to 2021.
Jesus Charles
LinkedInExperience: Director of Spacecraft Operations · Firefly Aerospace
Jesus Charles has been Director of Spacecraft Operations at Firefly Aerospace since February 2024, a role the listing places in the Operations department at Director level, based in the Austin, Texas area. Jesus Charles was Spacecraft Mission Director at Firefly Aerospace from 2023 to 2024, Flight Director there in 2025 and Senior Payload Integration Manager there from 2020 to 2023.
Kristen Smithson
LinkedInExperience: Director of Operations · Firefly Aerospace
Kristen Smithson is a former Director of Operations at Firefly Aerospace, a role held from June 2023 to December 2023, leading business and facility operations in Seattle through the post-acquisition transition of Spaceflight, Inc. and the site shutdown. Kristen Smithson was Vice President of Business Operations at Spaceflight Inc. from 2020 to 2023 and has been VP, Production and Supply Chain at BlackSky since December 2024.
Kyle McAllen
LinkedInExperience: Launch Site Director, Wallops Flight Facility · Firefly Aerospace
Kyle McAllen has been Launch Site Director, Wallops Flight Facility at Firefly Aerospace since July 2026, managing launch operations of the Alpha and Eclipse launch vehicles from Wallops. Kyle McAllen was Director, Poker Flat Research Range at the University of Alaska Fairbanks from 2025 to 2026 and Launch & Test Director at NASA from 2018 to 2023.
Ramon Sanchez
LinkedInExperience: Chief Operating Officer · Firefly Aerospace
Ramon Sanchez has been Chief Operating Officer at Firefly Aerospace since December 2025, with the role listed in Cedar Park, Texas, and responsible for day-to-day operations and for safety, quality and reliability. Ramon Sanchez was Senior Director of Operations Space Intelligence and Weapon Systems at Boeing from 2019 to 2025 and Site Leader and Senior Director of Operations Missile & Weapon Systems Division there from 2021 to 2022.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's area, whether company operations, production, spacecraft operations or a launch site, to the decision you face. Check when each person's role started and whether it has ended, to judge how close their view is to your question.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01Which operating decisions took up most of your time in your role?
- 02How did you set priorities across the teams you led?
- 03What made an operating change go smoothly or stall in your experience?
Reaching Firefly Aerospace operations leaders
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About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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