Director of Manufacturing Industrialisation (MAN012)

ALL.SPACE; Reading; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in satellite communications is seeking a Director of Manufacturing to define and lead their industrial strategy and execution. The role involves managing the transition of products from R&D to mass production and fostering a culture of continuous improvement through automation and lean methodologies within the manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate will bring extensive experience in manufacturing processes and strong leadership capabilities.

Benefits

Stock Options

Contributory Pension Scheme 3% standard

25 days Annual Leave + Public Holidays

Cycle-to-Work Scheme

Car Scheme (Salary Sacrifice)

Free On-Site Gym

Employee Assistance Programs

Discounts Platform

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing, industrialisation, or operations leadership roles.
• Proven track record in scaling products from R&D to mass production.
• Strong problem-solving skills using Six Sigma, Lean, and root cause analysis methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Manufacturing strategy and execution, ensuring product transitions from concept to full-scale production.
• Drive Six Sigma, Lean, and Kaizen initiatives to enhance manufacturing efficiency.
• Manage contract manufacturers and develop strategic partnerships to ensure cutting-edge manufacturing technology.

Skills

Leadership

Manufacturing Processes

Automation

Continuous Improvement

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field

Job description

Who are we?

We hire those that seek to innovate across people, process and technology. Join our global workforce, visualise the future and strive for success. Our engineering campus and corporate offices in the UK and US are optimal environments for ideas and innovation to flourish.

ALL.SPACE, has developed a smart terminal, capable of linking with all satellites, all networks, in all orbits, all at once. Our ground-breaking software-defined service enablement platform integrates intelligent routing, edge computing and on-demand services to deliver unprecedented network resilience and application performance. Our terminal designs operate as fully electronic beam steering systems. Our IP has applications across a wide range of market sectors including aeronautical, land mobile, maritime, and 5G. It provides broadband, multi-beam, two-way communications with dynamic tracking of geostationary and non-geostationary satellites or terrestrial nodes.

We are looking for world class talent to join our high-performing teamworking on cutting edge technologyin the satellite communications industry. We stand by our company values;INTEGRITY, INNOVATION & EXECUTION EXCELLENCE– giving you the opportunity to build your career in an environment where we encourage crisp decision-making, challenging the status-quo, championing your beliefs and ideas, sharing successes (and learning from failures) and working collaboratively with your fellow team members.

ALL.SPACE is committed to practicing and promoting diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace. We aim to lead by example by making satellite communications a more inviting and accessible industry for all.

The Director of Manufacturing will be responsible for leading our Manufacturing strategy and execution, transition of new products and processes from concept development to full-scale volume production environment internally and with key suppliers.

This role will ensure seamless transition and scale of our products by collaborating closely with R&D, integrated programme teams, engineering, supply chain, and production teams, rapidly transitioning away from engineering lead processes to integrated production environment with ownership for MRL level maturity. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in manufacturing processes, automation, supply chain management, and continuous improvement methodologies.

Industrialisation Strategy & Leadership

• Work with the Leadership Team to define the industrial strategy for the organisation across UK and US going forward.

• Build and execute a full product life cycle strategy from concept, through LRIP, Ramp and aftermarket MRO.

• Working internally and with key partners, define and execute the Industrialisation strategies to scale new products and processes from concept to mass production.

• Develop a robust framework for design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA).

• Drive the adoption of lean manufacturing, automation, and Industry 4.0 technologies to enhance efficiency.

• Establish KPIs to measure industrialisation success (cost, yield, quality, time-to-market).

New Product Introduction (NPI) & Process Development

• Work closely with R&D, product design, and engineering teams to ensure manufacturing feasibility at early design stages.

• Identify target yields at each stage of the manufacturing process, mitigating yield and capacity risks.

• Ownership of all manufacturing processes and equipment across prototype, pilot, and pre-production runs, ensuring smooth scale up to initial rate manufacturing.

• Rapid transfer of test process, acceptance criteria and equipment from engineering and or 3rd parties into production lead and owned environment.

• Develop scalable manufacturing processes, optimising for cost, quality, and lead time.

• Define and validate manufacturing equipment, tooling, and automation requirements internally and with Partners

Supplier & Manufacturing Partner Management

• Manage contract manufacturers (CMs) and suppliers for industrialisation.

• Identify and mitigate risk and performance, process or design related issues internally or at CMs.

• Develop strategic partnerships with equipment vendors to ensure access to cutting-edge manufacturing technology.

• Oversee supplier audits, technical capability assessments, and ramp-up plans.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Drive Six Sigma, Lean, and Kaizen initiatives to enhance manufacturing efficiency.

• Identify and mitigate risks related to scalability, quality, and process stability.

• Oversee appropriate digital manufacturing tools for real-time production monitoring and optimisation internally and at CM’s.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Leadership

• Lead a cross-functional industrialisation team, including process engineers, automation specialists, and manufacturing engineers.

• Partner with finance and supply chain teams to optimise cost models and CapEx investments.

• Communicate industrialisation progress and challenges to executive leadership.

• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing, industrialisation, or operations leadership roles.
• Proven track record in scaling products from R&D to mass production in high-volume manufacturing environments.
• Expertise in DFM/DFA, automation, robotics, and Industry 4.0.
• Experience running aftermarket MRO capability
• Strong knowledge of materials, tooling, and manufacturing technologies (e.g., injection molding, machining, assembly, electronics).
• Experience working with global suppliers, CMs, and contract manufacturing strategies.
• Preferred Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong problem-solving skills using Six Sigma, Lean, and root cause analysis methodologies.
• Ability to manage multi-million-dollar capital investment projects.
• Excellent leadership and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in automotive, aerospace, space, satellite, electronics, medical devices, or consumer products manufacturing.
• Exposure to ISO, FDA, and other regulatory standards.
• Experience with PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems).

• Stock Options

• Contributory Pension Scheme3% standard

• 25 days Annual Leave + Public Holidays

• Cycle-to-Work Scheme

• Car Scheme (Salary Sacrifice)

• Free On-Site Gym

• Employee Assistance Programs

• Discounts Platform