Propulsion Manufacturing Lead — Spacecraft Systems

Astranis Space Technologies Corp.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in company

Robust benefits package

401(k) retirement planning

Flexible PTO

Free on-site catered meals

Job summary

Astranis Space Technologies Corp. is seeking a Team Lead for Propulsion Manufacturing in Northern California to guide a team of propulsion engineers, technicians, and welders.

You will set quality standards, manage daily operations, and partner with design teams to scale production to multiple satellites annually. The role emphasizes hands-on leadership, manufacturing process optimization, and ensuring safety, reliability, and timely delivery of complex propulsion hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering.
• 5+ years of professional experience in a hardware manufacturing or production environment (aerospace preferred).
• Demonstrated ability to manage a lab and/or production facilities, equipment, and operations.
• Proven leadership through project management, mentorship, and people management experience.
• Hands-on experience working with fluid or gas feed systems.
• Experience with 3D CAD software, including navigating complex assemblies and designing basic fixturing.
• Ability to use ERP/MES systems for creating procedures, tracking hardware ad builds, and enforcing quality processes.
• Strong communication (written and verbal), organizational skills, and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of propulsion manufacturing engineers, technicians, and welders to build satellite propulsion systems, including hiring and managing direct reports.
• Create and enforce quality standards and processes to ensure proper verification of unit-level and system-level hardware.
• Manage day-to-day activities of propulsion manufacturing, including creating processes for assigning and tracking work across a multi-disciplinary team.
• Create and enforce a culture of safety and quality throughout the workplace.
• Evaluate proposed designs for manufacturability and integration, and work closely with design engineering teams to new designs and processes to enable factory output growth targets up to 24 vehicles per year.
• Create, maintain and communicate detailed schedules, ensuring your team and other stakeholders are aware of tasks and deadlines, including resource identification and acquisition.
• Own both internal and external manufacturing processes, including vendor management and ROI analysis on insourcing any processes.
• Develop new processes and tooling to support the manufacturing and assembly of new hardware designs, as well as continuous improvement of existing processes.
• Work hands-on with flight hardware alongside your team to ensure mission success.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Project management

Mentorship

Mechanical intuition

Analytical thinking

Hands-on experience with fluids

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering

Tools

3D CAD software

ERP/MES systems

Job description

Astranis Space Technologies Corp. is seeking a Team Lead for Propulsion Manufacturing in Northern California to guide a team of propulsion engineers, technicians, and welders.

You will set quality standards, manage daily operations, and partner with design teams to scale production to multiple satellites annually. The role emphasizes hands-on leadership, manufacturing process optimization, and ensuring safety, reliability, and timely delivery of complex propulsion hardware.