Scale-Up Leader — Interceptor Manufacturing & Factory Build

Approach Venture LLC; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Approach Venture LLC in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Head of Manufacturing to build the factory and the team that scales interceptor technology from prototype to production. You will own the facility, processes, tooling, quality, and the team delivering high-volume production for national defense customers.

You will report to the CEO and partner with founders and engineering to ensure the product is designed for manufacturability and can meet cost and rate targets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, manufacturing, industrial, or aerospace engineering.
• 7+ years of manufacturing experience in aerospace/defense with 5+ years in leadership.
• Track record scaling hardware from prototype to production.
• U.S. Person status (ITAR) and ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the manufacturing team, hiring technicians and manufacturing engineers as the company grows.
• Own manufacturing strategy, including what is built in-house versus outsourced and when.
• Set manufacturing priorities with the founders and engineering leads, and make tradeoffs clear.
• Keep prototype and test hardware builds moving quickly without compromising quality.
• Create build procedures, work instructions, and records that capture lessons from every build.
• Plan and stand up the production facility, equipment, and tooling.
• Develop production processes for structures, electronics, final assembly, and test, with a path to low-rate and full-rate production.
• Own unit cost and production rate, and drive both toward targets.
• Embed design-for-manufacturing and design-for-test early in each design.
• Build a scalable quality system covering inspection, nonconformance, and corrective action, targeting AS9100 certification.
• Own manufacturing safety, including safe handling and storage of energetic materials.
• Ensure manufacturing meets customer, contract, and regulatory requirements.

Skills

7+ years manufacturing leadership

Scale-up from prototype to production

Team building and leadership

Facility planning and tooling

Cost and production-rate ownership

Design-for-manufacturing integration

Safety and regulatory knowledge

U.S. Person status (ITAR)

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical, manufacturing, industrial, or aerospace engineering

Tools

AS9100 knowledge

ERP/MES familiarity

Job description

Approach Venture LLC in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Head of Manufacturing to build the factory and the team that scales interceptor technology from prototype to production. You will own the facility, processes, tooling, quality, and the team delivering high-volume production for national defense customers.

You will report to the CEO and partner with founders and engineering to ensure the product is designed for manufacturability and can meet cost and rate targets.