Director, Manufacturing Development

Responsibilities

• Lead and scale the Manufacturing Development organization including Manufacturing, Integration, and Test Engineering
• Own the transition of new spacecraft products from development into volume production
• Drive NPI execution by partnering with Design Engineering, Supply Chain, and Quality teams
• Establish manufacturing processes, assembly flows, tooling, and test methodologies
• Lead production readiness reviews and risk assessments for new products
• Identify manufacturing bottlenecks and drive continuous improvement in throughput and yield
• Drive design-for-manufacturing (DFM), design-for-assembly (DFA), and design-for-test (DFT) best practices
• Evaluate and implement new manufacturing technologies and automation strategies

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or Aerospace Engineering
• 10+ years of experience leading manufacturing or NPI organizations in aerospace or automotive industries
• Proven track record of scaling manufacturing operations for complex hardware
• Strong understanding of spacecraft or electromechanical assembly and integration
• Deep knowledge of NPI methodologies and lean manufacturing principles
• Experience developing manufacturing systems, tooling, and test infrastructure
• Strong leadership and team development skills
• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems and regulatory requirements

Benefits

• Equity in Apex
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for employees and dependents
• $100k life insurance at no cost
• Comprehensive PTO package and 10 paid holidays
• 401(k) plan with generous matching
• 8 weeks paid parental leave plus childcare reimbursement
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks
• Monthly office socials and community events

About the Company

Apex Space manufactures satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware designed for manufacturing to provide humankind access to the galaxy.