Production Manager Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• College degree in an engineering or business discipline, or equivalent hands-on experience in aerospace/hardware production.
• 5+ years (more at senior levels) in production, manufacturing, or build/integration roles for spacecraft, launch vehicles, or comparable high-reliability hardware.
• Demonstrated ability to build production processes from scratch, not just operate within an existing one.
• Experience working directly with engineering to resolve build and manufacturability issues in real time.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity with limited existing tooling or process.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to report schedule, risk, and quality status to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Ability to work onsite in Seal Beach, CA.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
• Experience standing up a production line or work cell at a new space or early-stage aerospace company.
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles.
• Experience implementing or configuring MES/ERP/PLM systems for a growing manufacturing organization.
• Direct experience managing technicians across cleanroom, structures, propulsion, or avionics build environments.
• Experience scaling a team and process from single-unit builds toward low-rate, repeatable production.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 or comparable quality/manufacturing standards.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end production of assigned hardware, from kitting and build through integration and test.
• Stand up foundational production processes, including work instructions, travelers, configuration control, and shop floor workflows.
• Lead and grow a team of technicians, setting build priorities and holding the floor accountable to schedule and quality.
• Provide real-time manufacturability feedback and resolve build issues, nonconformances, and design changes.
• Build and maintain production schedules that account for long-lead parts, tooling availability, and engineering change traffic.
• Establish baseline production metrics (throughput, cycle time, escapes, cost) and use them to drive continuous improvement.
• Evaluate and help select production software systems that fit our current stage and scale with us.
• Coordinate with supply chain on vendor-built components and outside processing to keep builds unblocked.
• Champion a safety-first culture on the floor as headcount and equipment scale.
• Recruit, hire, and train technicians and, at senior levels, supervisors.
• Communicate build status, risks, and schedule impacts to engineering and leadership.

Benefits

• 100% paid medical, dental, and life insurance coverage
• Vision and FSA benefits available
• 3 weeks of PTO + 1 week of sick time
• 10 paid Holidays
• Retirement savings plan – 401(k), with company match
• Equity on the ground floor of a startup