Production Manager - Starlink Insourcing (Injection Molding)

SpaceX•Bastrop, TX

About The Position

The Production Manager for Starlink insourcing (injection molding) is responsible for ensuring component production, final assembly, and test processes operate with high quality and meet schedules. The role oversees production operations and supports facilities planning, staffing, leadership development, and new product introduction. It also provides engineering teams with input on area capabilities and design for manufacturability, while helping SpaceX scale production to connect the unconnected.

Requirements

One of the following: an advanced degree and at least 2 years of experience in engineering, production, manufacturing, or operations; a bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of such experience; or at least 8 years of such experience.
At least 2 years of direct leadership or management experience.
Willingness to work flexible and/or extended hours to meet role needs.
Ability to lift at least 25 pounds without assistance.
Ability to stoop, bend, crawl, and maneuver in tight spaces.
Must meet ITAR eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen or national, a U.S. lawful permanent resident, a refugee, an asylee, or eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Nice To Haves

Experience transitioning products from design to manufacturing and scaling them to high volume as part of a cross-functional team.
Production-setting experience with processes such as injection molding, CNC, die casting, stamping, assembly, and box build, along with understanding of their costs, schedules, and complexity.
Experience defining and assessing quality standards for manufacturing processes, including drawing specifications, limit samples, incoming and outgoing quality control points, and moving products from tool release to mass production.
Professional experience building and leading production teams in a fast-paced, high-technology field.
Experience in fast-paced, iterative design environments in consumer electronics, mobile handsets, medical devices, aerospace, or automotive industries.
Ability to solve complex problems independently or on an integrated team, using appropriate problem-solving tools and meeting schedules.
Working experience with IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 manufacturing for Class 3 products.
Experience and/or certification in statistical process control, such as Six Sigma or Lean Six Sigma.
Working proficiency with DFMEA and PFMEA methodology and implementation.
Experience identifying and analyzing production-process improvements for production rate and quality.
Ability to adapt to frequently changing work assignments in a fast-paced production environment.
Experience monitoring, tracking, and continually improving total unit-production cost.
Hands-on leadership, strong communication, and a passion for advancing manufacturing-process efficiency.

Responsibilities

Manage a team of supervisors and more than 120 technicians across a four-shift structure.
Implement a development program that improves team capabilities, manufacturability, quality, lead time, and cost.
Maintain a strong focus on safety and an excellent safety record.
Lead continuous-improvement projects using appropriate metrics and data, and establish plans to achieve improved performance.
Identify root causes of quality issues and implement corrective improvement actions.
Manage staffing and other resources to optimize team performance.
Monitor and communicate production-area status, readiness, and risks to leadership.
Maintain compliance with internal quality requirements and ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards.
Promote collaboration within and between departments.
Partner with engineering teams to ensure new product development supports manufacturability goals.
Meet tight production schedules for high-rate production while adapting to changing priorities.
Implement machine-maintenance schedules and ensure backup spares are available to support uptime and output.
Question existing practices and develop innovative solutions that improve competitive advantage.