Space Manufacturing Operations Program Manager

Space Kinetic; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity-Based Compensation

401(k) Retirement Plan with 3.5% match

Highly Competitive PTO

Paid holidays + winter break

Medical, Dental, Vision Coverage

Job summary

Space Kinetic in El Segundo, CA, is seeking an Operations Program Manager to lead cross-functional manufacturing programs from planning to delivery across production, supply chain, and facilities. You will own schedules, costs, risks, and milestones, building integrated plans and monitoring KPIs while driving continuous improvements and ensuring AS9100 compliance and ITAR considerations.

This onsite role requires urgency, ownership, and the ability to coordinate with stakeholders in a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Manufacturing Management, Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in manufacturing, machining, CNC operations, manufacturing engineering, project engineering, or related technical environment.
• 2+ years of operations management experience involving manufacturing, supply chain, facilities, production planning, or related functions.
• Demonstrated project-management experience managing schedules, budgets, costs, risks, requirements, and cross-functional dependencies.
• Experience working in a machine-shop or production environment, including capacity planning and resource allocation.
• Knowledge of manufacturing KPIs, corrective-action processes, and AS9100 quality-management requirements.
• Experience using ERP and MES to monitor materials, work orders, schedules, capacity, costs, and production performance.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence without formal authority, provide direction, and drive accountability across cross-functional teams.
• Experience working in aerospace, aviation, defense, or another highly regulated industry.

Responsibilities

• Partner with project management, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, production planning, and Facilities to align product requirements, program scope, factory priorities, and delivery expectations.
• Develop and maintain integrated operational plans covering schedules, budgets, material costs, staffing, equipment, manufacturing capacity, and hardware-delivery milestones.
• Establish performance baselines and monitor operational performance using manufacturing KPIs such as NCRs, first-pass yield, throughput, schedule performance, and machine utilization.
• Identify, track, and communicate operational risks and opportunities, including supply-chain disruptions, equipment constraints, capacity limitations, quality issues, and schedule delays.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and their interdependencies, removing execution barriers and driving accountability without direct reporting authority.
• Provide program leaders and internal stakeholders with clear updates on operational performance, hardware status, costs, risks, delivery milestones, and recovery plans.
• Ensure technical, quality, and schedule requirements are communicated to critical subcontractors and purchased-part suppliers, while coordinating vendor performance and priorities.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Manufacturing engineering

ERP/MES systems

AS9100 knowledge

Manufacturing KPIs

Aerospace industry exp

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Engineering

Tools

ERP software

MES software

Job description

Space Kinetic in El Segundo, CA, is seeking an Operations Program Manager to lead cross-functional manufacturing programs from planning to delivery across production, supply chain, and facilities. You will own schedules, costs, risks, and milestones, building integrated plans and monitoring KPIs while driving continuous improvements and ensuring AS9100 compliance and ITAR considerations.

This onsite role requires urgency, ownership, and the ability to coordinate with stakeholders in a