VP of Production

Skyways•Austin, TX

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Skyways designs, builds, and operates fully autonomous long-range cargo aircraft, having flown real missions with real customers since 2017. Their V2 carries 30 lbs up to 500 miles and V3 carries 100 lbs over 1,000 miles, both utilizing a dual-hybrid design for vertical takeoff and plane-like cruising. The company is currently operating on three continents, within controlled national airspace under FAA oversight, and in support of U.S. military operations. Backed by Y Combinator and a $37M STRATFI contract from the U.S. Air Force, Skyways is transitioning from prototype development to full-rate production with a clear path to Program of Record. Based in Austin, the company is rapidly expanding and seeking individuals to help build the world's largest fleet of autonomous logistics aircraft. The opportunity for the VP of Production is to lead this transition, moving from low-rate builds to a robust production system. This role encompasses ownership of the factory, processes, team, and operating cadence, with a strong emphasis on hands-on leadership and execution to ensure aircraft are built reliably and repeatedly at scale.

Requirements

You have personally led a production ramp for a complex hardware system
You have built manufacturing processes that were used daily, not just designed on paper
You have been accountable for output. Throughput, yield, cost, and delivery
You have worked in environments where things were unclear and still moved them forward
You are comfortable on the floor, in the build, and in the details when needed
You can push engineering, supply chain, and operations to align and deliver
You know how to move fast without letting quality collapse

Nice To Haves

Built a factory or production line from scratch
Experience in regulated environments (FAA, DoD, etc.)
Deep experience with DFM, yield improvement, and reliability in the field
You thrive in ambiguity and love solving problems no one has solved before

Responsibilities

Take aircraft from low-rate builds to repeatable, scalable production
Stand up manufacturing systems that actually run under real conditions
Build and lead production, manufacturing engineering, and quality as one team
Work side-by-side with engineering to close the gap between design and build
Drive daily execution on the floor. Identify what’s breaking and fix it fast
Own throughput, yield, cost, and schedule. Be accountable when they miss
Build supply chain that can support aggressive production targets, not just prototypes
Reduce BOM cost without compromising reliability
Establish a production cadence that increases speed without losing control
Ensure compliance with ITAR, safety, and quality requirements without slowing the team down