Operations Program Manager, Manufacturing

Space Kinetic•El Segundo, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Space Kinetic is a dual-use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations—one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology to space missions while reducing the ecosystem’s reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different—an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures, where each satellite has one or a small number of primary payloads attached to the bus, and unlock a one-to-many system in which each satellite carries numerous payloads that can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster. This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Manufacturing Management, Engineering, or a related field—or an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience.
3+ years of experience in manufacturing, machining, CNC operations, manufacturing engineering, project engineering, or related technical environment.
2+ years of operations management experience involving manufacturing, supply chain, facilities, production planning, or related functions.
Demonstrated project-management experience managing schedules, budgets, costs, risks, requirements, and cross-functional dependencies.
Experience working in a machine-shop or production environment, including capacity planning and resource allocation.
Knowledge of manufacturing KPIs, corrective-action processes, and AS9100 quality-management requirements.
Experience using ERP and manufacturing execution systems(MES) to monitor materials, work orders, schedules, capacity, costs, and production performance.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence without formal authority, provide direction, and drive accountability across cross-functional teams.
Experience working in aerospace, aviation, defense, or another highly regulated industry.
Must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Responsibilities

Serves as the primary link between program leadership including production planning, supply chain, manufacturing, integration, and production support.
Leads the cross-functional execution of manufacturing activities across one or more programs, aligning teams around program requirements, production priorities, schedules, costs, risks, and hardware-delivery milestones.
Provides program leaders and internal stakeholders with a single point of accountability, removes execution barriers, and drives operational readiness from development through production.
Partners with project management, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, production planning, and Facilities to align product requirements, program scope, factory priorities, and delivery expectations.
Develops and maintains integrated operational plans covering schedules, budgets, material costs, staffing, equipment, manufacturing capacity, and hardware-delivery milestones.
Establishes performance baselines and monitors operational performance using manufacturing KPIs such as NCRs, first-pass yield, throughput, schedule performance, and machine utilization.
Identifies, tracks, and communicates operational risks and opportunities, including supply-chain disruptions, equipment constraints, capacity limitations, quality issues, and schedule delays.
Coordinates cross-functional teams and their interdependencies, removing execution barriers and driving accountability without direct reporting authority.
Provides program leaders and internal stakeholders with clear updates on operational performance, hardware status, costs, risks, delivery milestones, and recovery plans.
Ensures technical, quality, and schedule requirements are communicated to critical subcontractors and purchased-part suppliers, while coordinating vendor performance and priorities.
Supports equipment-purchasing and facility-planning decisions, including machinery, tooling, infrastructure, production-space requirements, and operational readiness.
Participates in corrective-action activities and uses operational data to implement process improvements.
Evaluates changes to product requirements or program scope and communicates their potential impact on costs, schedules, capacity, and hardware delivery.
Supports cost proposals by developing estimates for materials, equipment, labor, and other operational requirements.
Leads Operations program meetings and reviews with cross-functional teams and company leadership.
Ensures compliance with applicable company policies, quality standards, and operational processes.