Manager of Manufacturing Operations

Who We Are:

Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominate transportation mode - horse drawn chariots, ocean going boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world.  We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth. To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re-entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth. 

What You'll Do:

We’re seeking a hands-on Manager of Manufacturing Operations to oversee our machine shop, manufacturing engineering activities, production workflows, and final vehicle integration. This role is key to scaling and optimizing advanced aerospace manufacturing operations — with a strong focus on leadership, scheduling, efficiency, and cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage daily operations of the machine shop, including machinist scheduling, resource planning, and production prioritization.
• Oversee end-to-end manufacturing workflows across CNC machining, additive manufacturing, and metrology/inspection.
• Lead manufacturing engineering teams focused on process development, quality assurance, and manufacturability improvements.
• Drive factory scheduling and ensure alignment between engineering demand, machine shop capacity, and integration timelines.
• Develop and optimize ERP/MES systems to support work order management, materials tracking, and real-time manufacturing data.
• Collaborate with engineering, supply chain, and leadership teams to ensure production schedules meet program milestones.
• Implement lean manufacturing practices to drive continuous improvement, reduce waste, and improve throughput.
• Maintain a strong culture of safety, quality, accountability, and team development.

What You Bring:

• 7+ years of manufacturing leadership experience, with direct responsibility for machine shop operations and production scheduling.
• Strong background in CNC machining, DMLS/additive manufacturing, fabrication, and integration.
• Experience optimizing manufacturing workflows in aerospace, aviation, or high-tech manufacturing industries.
• Proven leadership in ERP/MES system development and manufacturing execution.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering (Master’s preferred).
• Excellent skills in team leadership, operational planning, and cross-functional communication.

Preferred:

• Aerospace manufacturing or launch vehicle production experience highly preferred.
• Start-up or rapid-growth manufacturing environment experience.
• Certifications in Lean Six Sigma, PMP, or similar fields are a plus.

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in office presence.

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $130,000-170,000.  Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.