Manufacturing Director

About the role

Impulse Space is hiring a Manufacturing Director in Redondo Beach to hire, manage and mentor manufacturing engineers, technicians and leaders who support hardware builds for its vehicles. The role covers mechanical assembly, composites, mechanisms, welding, tubes and vehicle integration, and works closely with leaders and individual contributors in other disciplines.

Key responsibilities

• Grow the team of engineers and technicians to support new programs, products and processes such as components, thrust chambers, turbopumps, tanks, harnessing, tubing and welding.
• Mature existing programs by developing KPIs, training requirements and hardware reliability initiatives.
• Collaborate with design engineers and quality teams on manufacturability, DFM compliance and long-term reliability.
• Set daily and weekly production targets backed by performance metrics, and establish high technical standards through specifications and training.
• Expand capabilities and capacity on the shop floor.
• Work with supply chain on make vs. buy decisions and on building new capabilities internally or offloading commodities to external vendors.
• Mentor leads, supervisors and managers and build succession plans for the business.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, aerospace engineering or a related field.
• 10+ years of hands-on manufacturing experience.
• 5+ years leading high-performing teams.
• Ability to thrive in an ambiguous environment and work with cross-functional departments.
• Preferred: 12+ years of hands-on aerospace engineering and 8+ years on spacecraft, satellites, rockets or related hardware, plus experience hiring, training and managing engineering teams, new product introduction and setting up new manufacturing processes from scratch.

What we offer

• Stated pay of $200,000 - $230,000 per year.
• Possible long-term incentives in the form of stock options for full-time hires.
• Medical, vision and dental coverage and a 401(k) retirement plan.