VP of Manufacturing & Production

About the role

Ready to make connectivity from space universally accessible, secure and actionable? Then you've come to the right place! E-Space is bridging Earth and space to enable hyper-scaled deployments of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and services. We are building a highly-advanced low Earth orbit (LEO) space system that will fundamentally change the design, economics, manufacturing and service delivery associated with traditional satellite and terrestrial IoT systems.

Responsibilities

• Production System Ownership
• Own the single metric that defines success: 5 spacecraft/day sustained at or below DTC target
• Assume full production ownership at MRR — from that point, all production line decisions route through this role
• Manage production design changes through the Configuration Control Board (CCB) — ECOs require your concurrence before release
• Provide direct accountability for first-pass yield, automation uptime ≥95%, and ATE fault coverage ≥95%
• Product Manufacturing Engineering Lead
• DFM reviews at PDR and CDR; close all critical and major DFM findings before CDR
• Direct process engineering, tooling design, production BOM control, and work instruction development
• Lead manufacturing readiness assessment and MRR preparation — present manufacturing readiness evidence to the CTO
• Automated Assembly & Test
• Design, commission, and operate robotic assembly systems; maintain automation uptime ≥95%
• Own ATE design and development — board, subsystem, and spacecraft-level automated test
• Achieve ≥95% fault detection to LRU level and ≤0.5% false failure rate
• Own Test Program Set (TPS) development, validation, and production test software
• Production Line Operations
• Manage daily rate at the 5 SC/day target through factory layout optimization and workforce planning
• Maintain station utilization balance (60–90% per station) and enforce hold point compliance
• Drive headcount growth capped at 20% of volume growth rate
• Manufacturing Data & Quality
• Implement and operate the MES including work order management, traveler control, and ATE data integration
• Monitor SPC, yield trending, and defect pareto analysis
• Enforce workmanship standards per IPC-A-610 Class 3; maintain dotted-line to VP, MA&Q for quality system compliance

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive manufacturing and production engineering experience; at least one program carried from factory design through full-rate production at a sustained rate of ≥100 units/week
• Direct accountability for production rate, yield, and unit cost on a high-complexity electromechanical or aerospace product at rate — low-rate experience is not a substitute
• Direct experience with satellite manufacturing or space hardware production
• Familiarity with Design-to-Cost (DTC) methodologies and production cost modeling
• Experience with lean manufacturing transformation in a high-complexity environment
• Familiarity with digital twin and model-based manufacturing approaches

Qualifications

• Track record of embedding DFM discipline in product design teams during development — not as a production afterthought
• Hands-on MES experience including work order management, traveler control, ATE data integration, and as-built genealogy
• Direct experience with satellite manufacturing or space hardware production
• Familiarity with Design-to-Cost (DTC) methodologies and production cost modeling
• Experience with lean manufacturing transformation in a high-complexity environment
• Familiarity with digital twin and model-based manufacturing approaches

Skills

• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and systems
• Experience with robotic assembly systems and automated test equipment
• Knowledge of production line operations and quality assurance
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills

Benefits

As a member of our team, you will play a crucial role in driving our success. Our team members have a strong sense of dedication and responsibility; this includes a strong commitment to our mission to create an entirely new suite of global capabilities to improve lives, business efficiencies and build a smarter planet. This means that there will be times when extra hours, including nights and weekends, may be needed to meet critical deadlines and mission goals.

Pay

The target base pay for this position is $190,000- $225,000 annually. The total compensation packaged will be determined by various factors such as your relevant job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Schedule

This is a full time, exempt position, based out of our Saratoga office.