Sr. Manager, Vehicle Assembly, Integration & Test (AIT)

Terran Orbital•Irvine, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Join a team where your impact reaches beyond the stars! At Terran Orbital, you’re not just part of the system – you’re a vital force propelling our mission forward. As trailblazers in satellite manufacturing and aerospace innovation, we shatter boundaries daily to deliver groundbreaking solutions that power our nation’s defense and commercial missions. We are a unique, fast growing, and trusted team dedicated to swiftly and efficiently designing, building, launching, and operating state of the art satellites for advanced mission constellations. If you’re driven by purpose, inspired by challenges, and ready to leave your mark on the universe, you’ll find a home and endless opportunities for growth here. Together, let’s redefine what is possible in orbit and beyond! Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Sr. Manager, Vehicle AIT lead production execution for vehicle subassembly and bus build within Assembly, Integration & Test (AIT). Reporting to the Director, Systems Integration & Test the Sr. Manager, Vehicle AIT converts program requirements and production plans into disciplined, predictable factory‑floor execution. The role oversees supervisors, technicians, and production personnel, ensuring build operations are safe, efficient, and aligned to quality and schedule commitments. Success requires strong cross-functional leadership, early identification of constraints and risks, and decisive recovery actions. The Sr. Manager partners closely with Planning, Materials, Systems Integration Engineers (SIEs), Test Management, Quality, and Engineering to ensure material readiness, resolve issues, and prevent blockers from becoming schedule impacts. This role also drives a culture of ownership and urgency around NCRs and production issue resolution. The position is highly visible and demands execution discipline, technical judgment, and clear communication to align multiple functions toward shared production objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, or related field preferred, or equivalent practical experience in high‑complexity production environments.
8+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing, production, assembly, integration and test operation, preferably in aerospace, defense, space or another highly regulated environment.
Proven ability to own and execute complex production schedules in a fast-paced, schedule driven environment.
Strong understanding of manufacturing quality systems, configuration control, work instruction, and controlled production processes.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to clearly communicate production status, risks, priorities, and recovery plans.
Demonstrated experience in production capacity planning and management, including the ability to translate demand into labor equipment, tooling, and process requirements.
U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance.

Responsibilities

Lead daily production execution for vehicle subassembly and BUS build; ensure safe, efficient, quality‑compliant work completed to schedule.
Translate production plans into clear daily and weekly priorities for supervisors and technicians.
Monitor progress, surface risks early, and drive timely recovery actions to protect delivery dates.
Partner with Planning and Materials to align production priorities, kitting, material availability, and floor readiness.
Identify material shortages, BOM or documentation issues, and other constraints that threaten execution.
Own detailed AIT capacity planning across labor, equipment, tooling, facilities, and processes.
Maintain clear visibility into current and future capacity and serve as the production point of contact for manufacturing capacity discussions.
Promote a strong quality‑first culture; ensure issues are identified, documented, and resolved at the source.
Work with Quality and Engineering to drive root cause, corrective actions, and timely NCR closure without unnecessary production delays.
Partner with SIEs, Test Management, and AIT leadership to coordinate production, integration, and test activities.
Ensure issues are communicated clearly and resolved collaboratively across Production, Engineering, and Test.
Build a culture of ownership, early problem‑surfacing, and cross-functional resolution.
Develop team capability through coaching, training, and effective delegation.
Identify opportunities to improve production flow, labor efficiency, quality, standard work, and schedule performance.