Operation Head - Satellites AIT

GalaxEye; Bangalore Rural; On-site; INR 4,200,000 - 6,600,000; Full time

Job summary

GalaxEye in Bengaluru seeks an Operations Head to set up and run processes, systems, and a ground-floor team delivering satellite hardware into flight-ready spacecraft.

You will lead an AIT Lead, Inventory Manager, and Ops staff, own budgets and manufacturing execution as we scale toward constellation-rate production.

The role requires 8–10 years in manufacturing/production operations in aerospace or high-reliability electronics, with hands-on AIT or cleanroom exposure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electronics, Industrial/Production Engineering, or a related field.
• 8–10 years of overall experience, including leadership of manufacturing/production operations at a working lead/supervisor level.
• Experience in manufacturing/production operations in aerospace, defence, satellite, or high‑reliability electronics; hands-on AIT or cleanroom exposure preferred.

Responsibilities

• Set up and continuously improve SOPs across all AIT areas — NOVA Lab, ESS Lab, Structures Lab, and clean rooms, covering full build → qualify → integrate → checkout workflow.
• Own facility operational readiness: clean room discipline, ESD control, test equipment calibration/uptime.
• Define and maintain the AIT schedule for each satellite/payload with the AIT Lead.
• Own test readiness reviews and non-conformance management; own documentation and traceability.
• Own end-to-end manufacturing execution for the satellite programme; move from single-satellite build to constellation-rate production.
• Build production planning, workforce allocation, and capacity plans to scale the AIT floor.
• Partner with Design/Engineering on DFx feedback for new satellites and payload variants.
• Implement and own quality and safety systems (AS9100/ISO 9001) for high-reliability manufacturing.
• Build and own the AIT floor's operating budget including procurement, calibration, maintenance contracts, and materials.
• Prepare budget forecasts and cost projections aligned to production plan.
• Track spend vs budget and flag variances early.
• Own inventory outcomes across build/flight parts and test equipment; ensure ERP-based tracking and traceability.
• Set inventory policy direction and coordinate with SCM on material planning.
• Lead and develop the AIT Lead, Inventory Manager, and Ops staff; set day-to-day standards.
• Escalation point across ground floor for parts, facility readiness, access.
• Drive scale-up and continuous improvement to constellation-rate manufacturing.
• Define roadmap for tooling/automation to achieve higher throughput.

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electronics, Industrial/Production Engineering, or a related field

Job description

Reports to: Director – Tech Ops

Team: Leads a 5-10 person ground-floor team directly.

Works closely with: Engineering/Design, Program Management, SCM, Finance, Quality

Employment type: Full-time

Location: GalaxEye HQ, KIADB Aerospace Park, Bengaluru

Role Summary

The Operations Head will set up and run the processes, systems, and team that turn satellite hardware into flight-ready spacecraft. You'll lead a ground‑floor team — an AIT Lead who runs day‑to‑day floor execution through the AIT Technicians, an Inventory Manager, and the existing Ops & Maintenance staff — and own AIT facility operations, manufacturing execution, budget, and inventory outcomes for the AIT floor. You will start by operationalizing build‑to‑checkout for GalaxEye's first satellite program, then build the repeatable processes needed to scale toward constellation‑rate production — the facility is designed for up to 20 satellites/year and 5 per quarter, and this role is central to getting there.

Key Responsibilities

1. AIT Process & Operations

• Set up and continuously improve SOPs across all AIT areas — NOVA Lab, ESS Lab, Structures Lab, and both clean rooms — covering the full build > qualify > integrate > checkout workflow.
• Own facility operational readiness: clean room discipline (ISO 7/ISO 8 protocols, change room, material airlock, dedusting), ESD control, and calibration/uptime of test equipment (vibration shaker, TVAC chamber, data acquisition systems).
• Define and maintain the AIT schedule for each satellite/payload, sequencing EM build, environmental qualification, flight-model integration, and checkout, together with the AIT Lead.
• Own test readiness reviews and non‑conformance management at the programme level; own documentation and traceability (test logs, configuration records, End Item Data Packages).

2. Manufacturing Operations

• Own end‑to‑end manufacturing execution for GalaxEye's satellite programme — starting with single‑satellite build cadence and building toward repeatable, constellation‑rate production.
• Build production planning, workforce allocation, and capacity plans that scale the AIT floor from unit‑build to series production.
• Partner with Design/Engineering on design‑for‑manufacture and design‑for‑test feedback as new satellites or payload variants move into build.
• Implement and own quality and safety systems appropriate to a high‑reliability manufacturing environment (e.g., AS9100/ISO 9001‑aligned processes, lab safety protocols).

3. Budget Planning & Cost Management

• Build and own the AIT floor's operating budget — equipment procurement, calibration and AMC/maintenance contracts, consumables and materials, tooling and fixtures, training and certification, and facility upkeep.
• Prepare budget forecasts and cost projections for each activity area (facility & labs, manufacturing execution, inventory, quality/compliance, team) aligned to the production plan, from single-satellite build through constellation-rate scale‑up.
• Track actual spend against budget across the AIT floor; identify variances early and flag cost risks to leadership.
• Build the cost case and phasing for capacity investments — new equipment, tooling, facility upgrades — as build volume increases.
• Own budget inputs and projections for inventory, including procurement spend and carrying costs, in coordination with the Inventory Manager.

4. Inventory & Materials Management

• Own inventory outcomes for the AIT floor across both streams — build/flight parts and static test equipment — delivered day‑to‑day through the Inventory Manager.
• Ensure the Inventory Manager's rollout of ERP-based tracking and lot/serial traceability for flight parts lands on schedule and holds up under audit.
• Set inventory policy direction — stock norms, replenishment rules — as build cadence scales toward multiple satellites; coordinate with SCM/procurement on incoming material planning at the programme level.

5. Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the AIT Lead, Inventory Manager, and Ops & Maintenance staff; set the standards the AIT Lead applies to the technician team day‑to‑day.
• Act as the single escalation and coordination point across the ground floor — parts, facility readiness, access — since the AIT Lead does not coordinate Ops & Maintenance staff directly.
• Set performance standards and run training/certification programmes (cleanroom discipline, ESD handling, lab safety) across the ground floor.

6. Scale‑Up & Continuous Improvement

• Build the process, tooling, and automation roadmap needed to move from single-satellite operations to constellation‑cadence manufacturing.
• Drive continuous‑improvement initiatives to reduce AIT cycle time per satellite without compromising quality.

Candidate Profile

Area

Requirement

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electronics, Industrial/Production Engineering, or a related field

Experience

Roughly 8–10 years of overall experience, including significant experience leading manufacturing/production operations through a working lead/supervisor layer (not just individual contributors)

Domain exposure

Manufacturing/production operations in aerospace, defence, satellite, or high-reliability electronics; hands‑on AIT or cleanroom environment exposure strongly preferred