Head of Manufacturing, Lykos

Interplay•New York, NY

19d

About The Position

Lykos is a U.S.-based advanced materials and manufacturing company building defense-grade additives, components and production systems for extreme thermal, mechanical, and electromagnetic environments. We are building an industrial manufacturing platform designed to meet the standards of defense primes, government customers, and long-term strategic partners. We focus on ultra-high-performance ceramics (UHPCs) critical to aerospace, propulsion, and autonomous systems applications where traditional materials fail. Through novel process integration and laser-based manufacturing, Lykos is delivering scalable, U.S.-controlled production for mission-critical defense and national security programs. As Head of Manufacturing & Operations (HMO), you will drive the company’s transition from lab validated materials to real, scalable manufacturing capability. You will own manufacturing strategy, process architecture, operational readiness, and scale execution to ensure that Lykos can credibly produce defense-grade and commercial grade components at increasing volume, quality, and reliability. We are looking for a proven industrial operator who has built and commissioned production, owned yield, quality, and delivery, survived the scale-up of novel technology under real-world constraints, and managed CAPEX and vendors end-to-end. This role requires direct accountability from process to production to delivery, with a demonstrated ability to turn advanced technology into reliable, defense-grade manufacturing systems. This is a rare opportunity to architect an advanced manufacturing operation from first principles, at the intersection of materials science, laser-based production, and defense industrial requirements.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, or precision industrial operations.
Proven experience building or launching new production lines, manufacturing cells, or pilot facilities in one or more of the following sectors: Advanced Manufacturing (Carbon, Velo3D, Relativity, Divergent, etc.) Aerospace / Defense (Anduril, Raytheon, SpaceX, Northrop, etc.) High Performance Materials (CoorsTek, Kyocera, Applied Materials, ASML, etc.)
Strong understanding of process engineering, yield management, and quality systems.
Strong understanding of polymer derived ceramics, liquid polymer precursors, and material science.
Strong understanding of autonomous manufacturing systems, data organization, and related machine learning applications.
Experience operating multi-million dollar projects within regulated environments (AS9100, ITAR, DFARS, or equivalent).
Demonstrated ability to operate in early-stage, fast-moving environments.
Comfort working hands-on across engineering, operations, and external partners.

Nice To Haves

Advanced Degree in Advanced Manufacturing, Material Science / Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering.
Background in laser-based manufacturing, ceramics, composites, or advanced materials.
Experience supporting defense primes or government production programs.
Experience designing autonomous manufacturing systems.
Experience in machine learning in manufacturing environments for data collection, automation, and novel process generations.
Prior leadership role in scaling manufacturing from prototype to production.
Familiarity with supplier qualification and defense procurement expectations.

Responsibilities

Execute and own Lykos’ end-to-end manufacturing strategy, from turning raw material inputs into finished precursors to finished ceramic components and modular manufacturing units for distributed micro-factories.
Lead the initial pilot manufacturing build, including equipment selection, layout, tooling, automation, testing and CAPEX management.
Integrate laser-enabled manufacturing processes with ceramic material workflows to ensure repeatability, yield, and quality.
Establish production process controls, quality systems, and documentation aligned with aerospace and defense standards.
Identify scale-up risks, cost inflection points, and throughput constraints early and engineer them out across multiple material SKUs and partner environments.
Serve as the primary operational interface with defense contractors, commercial businesses, manufacturing partners, and government stakeholders.
Develop the operational playbook for scaling from pilot production to higher-volume manufacturing of materials and modular processing facilities.
Partner with the CEO, CSO, and advisory teams to translate technical strategy into executable operational milestones.
Recruit and manage cross-functional teams (engineering, operations, procurement, research)
Champion a culture of precision, accountability, and disciplined execution appropriate for defense manufacturing.