Aerospace Process Engineer - High-Rate Manufacturing Lead

Valid8 Financial, Inc.; Littleton (CO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Paid time off (PTO)

Health benefits

Job summary

ExoTerra is seeking a skilled Process Engineer to lead the development, industrialization, and ramp-up of manufacturing processes for a new aerospace production facility. You will define end-to-end workflows, select equipment, and drive throughput while meeting AS9100 and quality requirements.

The ideal candidate has 5–10+ years in aerospace or regulated industries, with experience launching new lines, applying lean methods, and using PFMEA/SPC tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.
• 5–10+ years in manufacturing/process engineering, preferably in aerospace or regulated industries.
• Proven experience launching new production lines or facilities.
• Strong knowledge of high-rate production environments and process scaling.
• Experience with lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems (AS9100, NADCAP).
• Experience with process validation, PFMEA, control plans, and statistical process control (SPC).

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of manufacturing processes for a new aerospace production site.
• Define and document end-to-end production workflows, including material flow, tooling, equipment, and staffing models.
• Support facility layout planning to optimize throughput, ergonomics, and safety.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure readiness for production ramp.
• Develop and validate manufacturing processes, work instructions, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Design and implement process controls to ensure repeatability, quality, and compliance with aerospace standards (AS9100).
• Select and qualify equipment, tooling, and automation solutions.
• Conduct process capability studies (Cp, Cpk) and establish control plans.
• Lead production ramp-up efforts, achieving target rate, yield, and cost metrics.
• Identify and eliminate bottlenecks to ensure high-rate production throughput.
• Implement lean manufacturing techniques (takt time, line balancing, value stream mapping).
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity and reduce waste.
• Ensure processes meet aerospace regulatory and quality requirements.
• Support First Article Inspection (FAI) and qualification builds.
• Partner with Quality teams to resolve non-conformances and root cause investigations.
• Implement error-proofing (poka-yoke) and robust quality controls.
• Develop and track KPIs such as yield, cycle time, and OEE.
• Utilize data analytics to identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead Six Sigma / root cause analysis initiatives to improve process stability.
• Work with Design Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Operations, and Facilities teams.
• Support supplier development and integration of external manufacturing partners.
• Provide technical leadership during design reviews and production readiness assessments.

Skills

Process engineering

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Quality systems

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

ExoTerra is seeking a skilled Process Engineer to lead the development, industrialization, and ramp-up of manufacturing processes for a new aerospace production facility. You will define end-to-end workflows, select equipment, and drive throughput while meeting AS9100 and quality requirements.

The ideal candidate has 5–10+ years in aerospace or regulated industries, with experience launching new lines, applying lean methods, and using PFMEA/SPC tools.