Senior Manager of Manufacturing

Venus Aerospace•Houston, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager of Manufacturing integrates engineering intent into scalable, high-quality manufacturing execution. This senior leader ensures designs, drawings, and manufacturing strategies account for production constraints, additive and conventional processes, and company-wide integration needs. The role leads Design for Additive Manufacturing practices across propulsion, structural, and flight hardware programs; partners with engineering on CAD models, GD&T, tolerances, and manufacturing notes; evaluates component suitability, cost drivers, post-processing, and quality requirements; and coordinates build setup and production handoffs. The role also leads cross-functional drawing reviews, advises on quoting and supplier capabilities, and maintains accurate BOMs, MBOM structures, and manufacturing documentation. Serving as a primary integrator across design engineering, manufacturing engineering, machining, test, and integration, the Senior Manager translates engineering requirements into manufacturing plans, build sequences, traveler requirements, and inspection steps. The position also oversees manufacturing technology and capability development, process development, continuous improvement, and production readiness, while partnering with Facilities and Maintenance on manufacturing dependencies. The Senior Manager leads a multidisciplinary team spanning additive, machining, manufacturing engineering, and integration; mentors and develops manufacturing personnel; and partners with Engineering, Test, Program Management, Supply Chain, and Quality. The position is on-site in Houston, Texas, and requires the ability to meet applicable U.S. export-control requirements.

Requirements

10–15+ years of experience in aerospace or high-performance hardware manufacturing.
Expertise in Design for Additive Manufacturing, CNC machining, GD&T, and manufacturing process development.
Strong judgment in manufacturability assessments and quoting methodology.
Familiarity with additive technologies such as LPBF and advanced post-processing workflows.
Ability to interpret complex engineering data packages and drive MBOM accuracy.
Demonstrated success scaling manufacturing capabilities.
Experience managing multifunctional manufacturing teams.
Strong communication skills, particularly in bridging engineering and manufacturing cultures.
Ability to meet applicable U.S. export-control requirements; the posting describes eligibility criteria related to U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residence, protected individual status, or obtaining required authorizations.

Responsibilities

Champion Design for Additive Manufacturing practices across propulsion, structural, and flight hardware programs.
Partner with engineering to ensure CAD models, GD&T, tolerances, and manufacturing notes align with additive process capabilities, including LPBF and novel materials.
Evaluate components for additive suitability, cost drivers, post-processing flow, and quality requirements.
Develop build setups and coordinate handoffs to production teams.
Lead cross-functional drawing reviews, focusing on manufacturability, tolerance stack-ups, and removing ambiguity.
Provide quoting-level insight into part cost drivers, machining complexity, additive build risk, and supplier capability.
Ensure BOM accuracy, MBOM structure integrity, and completeness of manufacturing documentation.
Integrate design engineering, manufacturing engineering, machining, test, and integration teams.
Convert engineering requirements into manufacturing plans, build sequences, traveler requirements, and inspection steps.
Coordinate with engineering programs and clarify handoffs across Integration → Test → Integration cycles.
Maintain broad understanding of machining, additive, composites, tooling, fixtures, automation, inspection, and qualification processes.
Identify and implement emerging technologies that expand manufacturing capabilities.
Oversee process development, continuous improvement initiatives, and production readiness, including DFX assessments and capability roadmaps.
Partner with Facilities and Maintenance on manufacturing dependencies such as water systems, utility upgrades, and equipment installs.
Lead a multidisciplinary manufacturing team spanning additive, machining, manufacturing engineering, and integration.
Mentor manufacturing personnel and provide technical guidance and structured development paths.
Build partnerships with Engineering, Test, Program Management, Supply Chain, and Quality.
Participate in manufacturing priority-setting sessions.