Manager, Manufacturing Engineering

Quantum Space•Rockville, MD

1d•$150,000 - $175,000•Onsite

About The Position

Quantum Space is seeking a hands-on Manager of Manufacturing Engineering to lead manufacturing engineering for its Ranger spacecraft program. The role leads the design, development, and continuous improvement of production lines as Ranger transitions from development to rate production. It oversees component fabrication, subassembly build, and final assembly, integration, and test (AIT), with a focus on safety, quality, and production rate. The manager will lead manufacturing engineers, test engineers, and technicians; oversee equipment and tooling design, facilities and clean room planning, staffing, leadership development, and new product introduction; and partner across engineering, supply chain, and production. The role works with design teams in Rockville to provide early, data-backed manufacturing input and design-for-manufacturability support, while helping transition production to Tulsa. The position is based in Rockville, Maryland, with travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma; Hawthorne, California; suppliers; and customer sites as needed, up to 20%. The role requires flexibility and/or extended hours to meet launch campaign and delivery milestones, and the ability to lift 25 pounds unassisted and work in clean room garments for extended periods. Applicants must meet applicable U.S. Government space technology export-control eligibility requirements.

Requirements

Advanced degree and 2 or more years of experience in engineering, production, manufacturing, or operations; or bachelor's degree and 4 or more years of such experience; or 8 or more years of such experience.
At least 2 years of direct leadership or management experience leading engineers.
Willingness to work flexible and/or extended hours to meet role needs, including launch campaign and delivery milestones.
Ability to lift 25 pounds unassisted and work in clean room garments for extended periods.
Ability to travel for short business trips to Tulsa, Oklahoma; Hawthorne, California; suppliers; and customer sites as needed, up to 20%.
Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual per 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations to comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including ITAR.

Nice To Haves

At least 4 years of leadership experience in a manufacturing environment and experience transitioning products from development into production.
Experience establishing a new production line or facility, including layout, equipment selection, and clean room or ESD-controlled areas.
Comfort working on the factory floor to identify and execute production and manufacturing efficiency improvements.
Experience with process development and qualification, new product introduction, capacity and resource planning, and Lean manufacturing.
Experience with design for manufacturability, assembly, reliability, testability, and source-ability.
Familiarity with aerospace quality systems such as AS9100 and mission assurance practices for flight hardware.
Ability to solve complex problems with little to no supervision, on schedule, individually or in an integrated team using appropriate problem-solving tools.
Ability to influence other organizations through sound engineering and business rationale and data.
Ability to organize, assign, and track work and deliverables.
Ability to develop manufacturing strategies based on specialized business needs.
Experience driving a high-impact production or company-wide initiative involving reliability, people, or efficiency.
Record of improving production through process improvements while focusing on product reliability and mission success.
Ability to work effectively in an integrated team with technicians, engineers, and managers.
Demonstrated ability to mentor and coach developing leaders.
Experience with spacecraft or satellite assembly, integration, and test (AIT).
Experience with propulsion system and pressure vessel build, including tank fabrication, welding, and proof and leak test.
Experience with precision machining of structural and propulsion components.
Experience with composite and metallic spacecraft structures.
Experience with electrical harness fabrication and avionics or printed circuit board assembly.
Experience with environmental testing, including thermal vacuum, vibration, and EMI/EMC.

Responsibilities

Build, lead, and grow a team of manufacturing engineers, test engineers, and technicians as Ranger moves from first article in Rockville to rate production in Tulsa.
Lead the team through all phases of the Ranger product life cycle while upholding standards, requirements, and mission assurance expectations.
Develop and implement business, manufacturing, and production metrics to measure and optimize productivity.
Serve as the technical decision maker and advisor on manufacturing techniques, tooling, and test methods for producing spacecraft structures, propulsion assemblies, avionics, and harnesses at rate.
Maintain a strong safety focus, including for pressure systems, propellant handling, and lifting operations.
Champion data-driven continuous improvement projects and develop improvement or mitigation plans to achieve higher performance.
Work with cross-functional teams to increase throughput and meet delivery targets while maintaining quality.
Recruit, develop, train, and retain leaders and individual contributors.
Drive excellence and cost reduction across design, production, and supply chain processes.
Monitor and communicate area status, readiness, and risks to leadership.
Partner with design engineering to ensure new product development supports manufacturability, assembly, and testability.
Implement equipment maintenance schedules and spares availability to support uptime and output performance.