Manufacturing Engineering Manager (PCBA)

Astranis Space Technologies; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity options

Company-subsidized healthcare

Flexible PTO

401(K) retirement

Free on-site catered meals

Job summary

A leading aerospace company in San Francisco seeks a PCBA Production Team Lead to oversee and scale internal production capabilities for cutting-edge satellite technology. This role requires at least 5 years of PCBA experience and leadership skills, as you'll support product transitions from development to production in a dynamic environment. The position offers competitive compensation ranging from $160,000 to $195,000 USD, along with equity and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• 5+ years in PCBA within aerospace, military, or manufacturing.
• 3+ years in a leadership role transitioning products to production.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of engineers and technicians through all product life cycle phases.
• Interface with engineering and production for nonconformance resolutions.
• Champion Design-for-Manufacturing to influence hardware designs.

Skills

PCBA experience

Leadership skills

Communication

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor’s in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Automation technology

Job description

Join to apply for the PCBA Production Team Lead role at Astranis Space Technologies

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly sophisticated customers across the globe—large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts.

Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

PCBA Production Team Lead

As the PCBA Production Team Lead you will lead the production strategy to establish and scale the internal PCBA production capabilities to meet our aggressive rate targets. You will work with the most cutting edge MicroGEO satellite technology and lead all PCBA assembly and test operations to achieve the highest levels of quality to ensure our hardware meets mission‑critical requirements.

Your responsibilities will span the full production lifecycle, including equipment and process selection, factory layout, capacity planning, staffing, new product introduction and collaboration with design engineering to champion design-for-manufacturability improvements.

The ideal candidate is self‑driven, extremely detail‑oriented, and thrives in a highly cross‑functional, dynamic environment while effectively mentoring and guiding others. If you are a proven PCBA production leader who thrives in a fast‑paced total‑ownership environment, and are ready for your next challenge – this role might be for you.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of engineers, specialists, and technicians performing component and PCBA processes for dev and flight hardware to drawing, process specifications, and work order requirements through all phases of the product life cycle
• Interface with engineering, production, and supply chain to communicate and resolve nonconformances while ensuring timely escalation and pursuing corrective action as required
• Champion Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM) with design engineering to evaluate and influence hardware designs for manufacturability
• Develop and implement an effective, robust, and efficient production strategy to establish internal PCBA production capabilities that enable our factory rate targets
• Take direct ownership of the physical production layout, optimizing for material flow from receiving through all processes leading to the finished product
• Develop new processes, GSE, tooling, etc to support the production of new hardware designs, as well as continuous improvement of existing processes
• Create, maintain and communicate detailed schedules to ensure your team and other stakeholders are aware of milestones and deadlines
• Create metrics and tools to monitor production success such as product yield and on time delivery
• Create and enforce a culture of safety and quality throughout the workplace

Requirements

• Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent technical degree
• 5+ years of PCBA experience in an aerospace, military, or manufacturing environment
• 3+ years in a leadership or team lead capacity transitioning products from development to production
• Willing and able to work overtime and/or weekends as required

Bonus

• Experience in a fast‑paced, iterative design or manufacturing environment within the aerospace, automotive, or consumer electronics industries
• Experience with the design and manufacturing of high reliability electronics
• Ability to develop and maintain high performing suppliers and contract manufacturers
• Experience transitioning products from design to manufacturing and scaling to high volume
• Experience implementing automation into production processes
• Experience with design of experiments, gauge repeatability and reproducibility, and process qualifications
• Experience working with and defining requirements for ERP, MRP and MES systems
• Knowledgeable with ISO 9001/AS9100 quality management systems

What we offer

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits.

Base pay is a single component of Astranis's total rewards package, which may also include equity in the form of incentive stock options, high quality company‑subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance benefits, flexible PTO, 401(K) retirement, and free on‑site catered meals.

Astranis pay ranges are informed and defined through professional‑grade salary surveys and compensation data sources. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, and the level and scope of the position.

Base Salary

$160,000—$195,000 USD

Citizenship / Eligibility

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, Or Refugee/Asylee Status Required (To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Contract

Job function

Management and Manufacturing

Industries

Space Research and Technology