WHO YOU ARE:- A hands-on airframe manufacturing leader with deep expertise in composite structures and bonded assemblies
- Comfortable building a manufacturing function from the ground up-facilities, processes, tooling, and teams
- A tactical leader who thrives on the shop floor, leading by example and mentoring technicians through complex builds
WHAT YOU'LL DO:You will own Astro Mechanica's supersonic plane build. Working with our Director of Manufacturing, you'll lead a team turning designs into real hardware, making sure parts get built, assemblies come together, and problems get solved efficiently as the airplane takes shape.
- Work with senior engineering leadership to stand up Astro Mechanica's airframe manufacturing function from scratch, including facilities, workflows, tooling concepts, and technician teams
- Own day-to-day operations of in-house airframe manufacturing, with a focus on composite structures and assemblies
- Work directly with the airframe engineering and design teams to translate designs, analyses, and requirements into executable manufacturing plans
- Partner closely with senior engineering leadership to align manufacturing strategy with program goals, schedules, and technical risk reduction
- Lead, schedule, and develop composite technicians and fabricators while maintaining a strong hands-on presence on the shop floor
- Supervise and coordinate layup, bonding, curing, trimming, assembly, and rework activities to meet aggressive development milestones
- Establish and continuously improve work instructions, build sequences, tooling approaches, and process documentation
- Ensure safe and effective operation of composite manufacturing equipment including autoclaves, ovens, freezers, layup tools, trimming equipment, and inspection tools
- Drive a culture of quality, accountability, and pride in workmanship across the airframe manufacturing team
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:- 10+ years of experience in high-mix, low-volume composite manufacturing, prototyping, or airframe fabrication, preferably in aerospace or defense
- Strong hands-on knowledge of composite materials and processes (prepreg layup, wet layup, bonding, curing, trimming, and repair)
- Strong hands-on knowledge of metallic materials and processing
- Practical experience working with metallic airframe components and composite-to-metal interfaces
- Experience building or scaling manufacturing operations, labs, or shops in a development or flight hardware environment
- Proven ability to lead and mentor technicians while staying deeply engaged in the technical details
- Ability to work directly from engineering drawings, ply books, CAD models, and evolving build definitions
- Familiarity with aerospace quality standards, inspection practices, and documentation for flight and test hardware
- Practical, execution-focused leadership style with comfort navigating ambiguity and rapid change
- Ambition to build real flight hardware in a fast-moving, high-accountability environment
PERKS & BENEFITS:- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k) program and transparent stock option plan
- Self-managed and flexible time-off policy, including PTO, paid holidays, and sick time
- Flexible work environment
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:At Astro Mechanica, we highly value in-office work to foster collaboration and strengthen our company culture. We consider working in the office five days a week an essential part of the employee's role.
