Staff Manufacturing Engineer - Factory Development

Apex Technology, Inc. • Los Angeles, CA

10d • $148,000 - $204,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Apex Space is seeking a highly technical and execution-focused Staff Manufacturing Engineer to lead factory development and manufacturing scale up efforts for Comet, our next-generation spacecraft platform. This role will own the strategy and execution behind standing up new production facilities, designing scalable production systems, and transitioning spacecraft hardware from development into high rate manufacturing.
This person should be equally comfortable walking an empty warehouse and defining the entire factory vision: production lines, equipment placement, workflow, utilities, rate capability, and manufacturing strategy, as they are diving deep into the technical realities of the hardware being built. You’ll play a critical role in shaping how Apex scales future spacecraft production by developing practical, scalable factory solutions that support aggressive production targets while maintaining quality, efficiency, and flexibility.
You will work cross-functionally with Engineering, Production, Supply Chain, Facilities, Automation, and Leadership teams to build world-class manufacturing infrastructure from the ground up.

Requirements

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, NPI, factory development, production engineering, or industrialization roles within aerospace, automotive, robotics, or other high-complexity hardware industries.
• Demonstrated experience scaling complex hardware products from prototype/development builds into production environments.
• Strong experience planning and developing manufacturing facilities, including factory layout, line design, workflow optimization, equipment integration, and production ramp activities.
• Proven ability to walk into a blank factory space and define practical, scalable manufacturing solutions from the ground up.
• Strong understanding of DFM/DFA principles, manufacturing process development, tooling design, and production system architecture.
• Hands-on, technically deep understanding of hardware manufacturing processes with the ability to bridge design intent and factory execution.
• Experience supporting production rate development, manufacturing capacity planning, and factory throughput planning.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing process validation, integration, hardware bring-up, and production troubleshooting.
• Experience working cross-functionally with design engineering, supply chain, quality, production, automation, facilities, and test organizations.
• Strong communication, technical leadership, and execution skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive large-scale manufacturing initiatives.
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous development environments with high ownership and autonomy.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing or scaling spacecraft, satellite, avionics, propulsion, or other aerospace production systems.
• Experience supporting greenfield factory builds or major factory expansions.
• Familiarity with automation systems, robotics, AGVs, or advanced manufacturing technologies.
• Experience with vertical integration strategy, make/buy analysis, or manufacturing insourcing efforts.
• Experience with production simulation, factory throughput modeling, or rate analysis.
• Familiarity with configuration control, process qualification, and engineering change management systems.
• Experience with high-rate production environments within aerospace or automotive industries.
• Prior experience building or leading manufacturing engineering or factory development teams.

Responsibilities

• Drive manufacturing strategy and NPI execution for Comet from early development through production ramp.
• Lead factory development initiatives including greenfield factory planning, facility layout, manufacturing line design, workflow optimization, and production infrastructure definition.
• Take ownership of translating production requirements into scalable factory solutions, including equipment layouts, material flow, staffing models, production rate planning, and facility outputs.
• Partner with leadership and Facilities teams to evaluate new buildings, support site selection activities, and define long-term manufacturing expansion strategies.
• Develop scalable production methodologies suitable for medium-to-high-rate spacecraft manufacturing.
• Define and implement manufacturing process flows, assembly strategies, tooling concepts, GSE requirements, and production readiness plans.
• Partner directly with product design and engineering teams to provide DFM/DFA feedback throughout concept development, PDR, CDR, and release phases.
• Collaborate with automation and facilities teams to identify and implement automation and semi-automation opportunities across production lines.
• Support sourcing, commissioning, validation, and deployment of production equipment, tooling, and manufacturing systems.
• Build practical manufacturing solutions that balance engineering intent, factory realities, throughput requirements, and long-term scalability.
• Drive root cause investigations, process improvements, and manufacturing readiness initiatives during integration and production activities.
• Establish and maintain manufacturing documentation, process controls, configuration management practices, and NPI best practices.
• Contribute to long-term strategy around vertical integration, factory scaling, manufacturing insourcing, and future production capabilities.
• Help define and scale the future NPI Manufacturing Engineering and Factory Development organization as production complexity and rate increase.

Benefits

• Receive equity in Apex, letting you benefit from the work you create
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents
• $100k life insurance at no cost
• 15 days vacation, growing to 20+ days annually
• 10 paid holidays
• Competitive 401(k) plan with generous matching - 100% match on first 3%, 50% on next 2%
• 8 weeks paid parental leave
• childcare reimbursement up to $350/day for work-related travel
• Daily catered lunch
• unlimited snacks
• Monthly office socials, pickleball tournaments, run club, and gatherings for you and your family
• Your dream desk setup and all the tools you need to be your most productive self
• World-class Playa Vista office with the benefit of in-person collaboration with amazing coworkers and flexibility to integrate work and life
• Work alongside experts from aerospace, new space, and other cutting-edge industries to make a lasting difference

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior