Director of Manufacturing (Design-to-Manufacturing)

Role overview

Leadership and production readiness

• Lead Manufacturing Systems and MGSE, Verification & Validation Test Engineering, and Test Platforms and EGSE teams.
• Oversee production-ready work instructions, bills of materials, routings, assembly workflows, tooling, fixtures, and process validation.
• Own product industrialization from engineering definition through manufacturing and test readiness, quality, schedule, cost, and production rate.

Test systems and design feedback

• Oversee test methods, procedures, scripts, limits, configurations, coverage, and verification evidence.
• Guide development, validation, deployment, and maintenance of test benches, instrumentation, automation, networking, and spacecraft interfaces.
• Review mechanical, electrical, software, and systems designs for manufacturability and testability, reducing late constraints and rework.

Delivery and team development

• Coordinate root-cause investigations, troubleshoot bottlenecks, and drive corrective actions.
• Track readiness, quality, schedule, cost, throughput, risks, and resource needs; establish reusable tooling, platforms, standards, and AIT handoffs.
• Coach and develop the team, strengthen technical leadership, clarify ownership, and improve cross-functional collaboration.

Must-haves

• Strong manufacturing and test engineering experience translating complex designs into practical manufacturing and verification systems.
• MGSE and EGSE expertise, including development, implementation, validation, and ongoing support.
• Experience with HIL/SIL or similarly complex integration and test environments.
• Practical DFM/DFA/DFT knowledge with examples of influencing design decisions.
• Proven technical team leadership and coaching; collaboration across engineering, production, quality, supply chain, and programs.
• Hands-on problem-solving and delivery under pressure, including shipping complex hardware and resolving production issues.

Good-to-haves

• Direct satellite or aerospace manufacturing experience.
• Electronics or defence/DoD manufacturing experience involving complex, high-reliability systems.
• Familiarity with ERP/MES systems for production workflows, reporting, and traceability.
• Agile or concurrent engineering, rapid prototyping, and iterative engineering-to-manufacturing handoffs.
• Knowledge of AS9100 and ISO 9001 quality standards.

Company and mission

Hiring process

• The employer may use AI tools to assist with application review and assessment; final hiring decisions are made by people.