Principal Space Manufacturing Architect: Scale Production

Parallax Space; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Parallax Space is seeking a Principal Manufacturing Engineer to architect and scale manufacturing across satellite systems and critical components. This leader will build production architecture, manufacturing engineering, factory infrastructure, and disciplined processes to move from early builds to sustained high-rate production.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience in creating manufacturing operations, translating designs into repeatable processes, and leading teams on the production

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• Typically 12+ years of progressive manufacturing engineering or complex-hardware production experience.
• Proven record building and scaling manufacturing processes, production systems, and operating infrastructure.
• Experience designing cells, layouts, workflows, capacity models, and production ramp plans.
• Strong command of lean manufacturing, DFMA, manufacturing quality, configuration control, and process engineering.

Responsibilities

• Develop manufacturing strategy and production ramp plans supporting increasing satellite and component output.
• Architect work cells, assembly lines, factory layouts, production flows, and repeatable operating concepts.
• Model takt time, cycle time, throughput, work-in-process, capacity, staffing, and capital equipment needs.
• Introduce lean manufacturing and industrial-engineering methods to transition from low-volume builds to standardized production.
• Define manufacturing maturity milestones and production readiness criteria across programs.
• Establish documented, controlled manufacturing processes, work instructions, routings, travelers, inspection gates, and training standards.
• Lead implementation and integration of MES, ERP/MRP, PLM, digital work instructions, and production data systems.
• Implement serialized traceability, material control, configuration management, and complete as-built records.
• Develop process qualification and verification approaches; deploy error-proofing and controls to reduce variability and rework.
• Create operational dashboards for real-time visibility into status, yield, throughput, and bottlenecks.
• Design and balance production cells against takt and demand; establish labor standards and measurable cycle times.
• Plan and execute production ramps, capacity expansions, and constraint-removal initiatives.
• Improve first-pass yield, schedule attainment, recurring labor hours, inventory flow, and cost per unit.
• Deploy root cause analysis, PFMEA, corrective actions, process capability analysis, and statistical controls where appropriate.
• Maintain a data-driven improvement roadmap spanning labor, quality, equipment utilization, and production throughput.

Skills

Bias for action

Team development

Lean manufacturing

DFMA

Manufacturing leadership

Process engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial, Aerospace Engineering, or related field

Tools

MES

ERP/MRP

PLM

Job description

Parallax Space is seeking a Principal Manufacturing Engineer to architect and scale manufacturing across satellite systems and critical components. This leader will build production architecture, manufacturing engineering, factory infrastructure, and disciplined processes to move from early builds to sustained high-rate production.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience in creating manufacturing operations, translating designs into repeatable processes, and leading teams on the production