Apex Space
aerospace
Director,ManufacturingDevelopment
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“Director, Manufacturing Development at Apex Space. Skills: Manufacturing Development, NPI, Production Readiness, Factory Scaling, Spacecraft Production. build and scale our Manufacturing Development organization. driving the transition of spacecraft programs from early design through production readiness and high-rate manufacturing”
What You'll Achieve.
driving the transition of spacecraft programs from early design through production readiness and high-rate manufacturing; successfully ramp spacecraft production at scale; rapidly bring new spacecraft platforms and hardware into production while maintaining uncompromising quality, reliability, and efficiency; ensuring manufacturability, repeatability, and production scalability; support aggressive production ramp goals while maintaining high quality and reliability standards; throughput, cycle time reduction, yield improvement, and cost optimization; improve efficiency and scalability; support rapid development timelines and evolving program priorities
Industry & Context.
problem-solving; decision-making abilities
What They're Looking For.
Must Have
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field, 10+ years of experience leading manufacturing, NPI, manufacturing engineering, or production development organizations within aerospace, automotive, or other high-complexity hardware industries, Proven track record successfully bringing new products from development into production and scaling manufacturing operations, understanding of spacecraft, aerospace, electromechanical, or high-reliability hardware assembly and integration processes, Experience developing manufacturing systems, tooling, production lines, and test infrastructure for complex hardware programs, Deep knowledge of NPI methodologies, production readiness processes, lean manufacturing principles, and continuous improvement frameworks, Demonstrated ability to operate effectively across engineering and production organizations, driving alignment between design intent and manufacturing execution, leadership and team development skills with experience building high-performing technical organizations, Excellent problem-solving, project management, and decision-making abilities in fast-paced development environments, communication and collaboration skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization, Experience supporting rapid production ramps and scaling manufacturing operations in dynamic environments, Familiarity with aerospace quality systems, regulatory requirements, and safety standards applicable to flight hardware manufacturing
Nice to Have
Advanced degree
What You'll Do.
build and scale our Manufacturing Development organization
driving the transition of spacecraft programs from early design through production readiness and high-rate manufacturing
owning the development
and industrialization of manufacturing processes
and assembly flows required to successfully ramp spacecraft production at scale
Lead cross-functional efforts focused on New Product Introduction (NPI)
manufacturing process development
and factory scaling initiatives across spacecraft assembly
directly impact our ability to rapidly bring new spacecraft platforms and hardware into production while maintaining uncompromising quality
Lead and scale the Manufacturing Development organization supporting spacecraft production
including Manufacturing Engineering
Integration Engineering
and production readiness initiatives
Own the transition of new spacecraft products and subsystems from development into volume production
ensuring manufacturability
and production scalability
Drive NPI execution across spacecraft programs
partnering closely with Design Engineering
and Test teams throughout the product lifecycle
Develop and implement manufacturing development strategies that support aggressive production ramp goals while maintaining high quality and reliability standards
Establish robust manufacturing processes
and test methodologies for new and existing spacecraft hardware
Lead production readiness reviews
and factory integration planning for new products and major design changes
Identify manufacturing bottlenecks and drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on throughput
and cost optimization
Partner with leadership to define factory scaling strategies
and long-term manufacturing roadmaps
Drive design-for-manufacturing (DFM)
design-for-assembly (DFA)
and design-for-test (DFT) best practices across engineering teams
Build and develop high-performing technical teams while fostering a culture of urgency
and continuous improvement
Evaluate and implement new manufacturing technologies
automation strategies
and production systems to improve efficiency and scalability
Support rapid development timelines and evolving program priorities in a fast-paced aerospace environment
How You'll Work.
Team & Collaboration
sit at the center of Engineering and Production; partnering closely with Design Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, Quality, and Test teams; Demonstrated ability to operate effectively across engineering and production organizations, driving alignment between design intent and manufacturing execution; communication and collaboration skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization; in-person collaboration with amazing coworkers
Communication Scope
communication and collaboration skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization
Process & Methodology
project management
Full Job Description
Spacecraft represent the most pressing unmet need across the entire aerospace industry. As more launch vehicles come online and the cost to orbit decreases, more companies launching payloads to space continue to emerge. For the first time in history, this influx of payload companies combined with reduced launch costs has resulted in a massive increase in need for commercial spacecraft platforms, known as satellite buses. These buses hold the payloads of our customers and are flown on launch vehicles. Apex manufactures these satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware that is designed for manufacturing. Our spacecraft enable the future of society: ranging from earth observation to communications and more. We’d love for you to join us on our mission of providing humankind access to the galaxy beyond our planet. ABOUT THE ROLE Apex Space is seeking Manufacturing Development Director to build and scale our Manufacturing Development organization, driving the transition of spacecraft programs from early design through production readiness and high-rate manufacturing. This role will sit at the center of Engineering and Production, owning the development, maturation, and industrialization of manufacturing processes, tooling, test infrastructure, and assembly flows required to successfully ramp spacecraft production at scale. You will lead cross-functional efforts focused on New Product Introduction (NPI), manufacturing process development, production readiness, and factory scaling initiatives across spacecraft assembly, integration, and test operations. Your work will directly impact our ability to rapidly bring new spacecraft platforms and hardware into production while maintaining uncompromising quality, reliability, and efficiency. Responsibilities: - Lead and scale the Manufacturing Development organization supporting spacecraft production, including Manufacturing Engineering, Integration Engineering, Test Engineering, N
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