Manufacturing Engineer - Spacecraft Production

Approach Venture LLC

• $95K — $135K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, industrial, mechanical, or electrical engineering, or related field
  • Hands-on experience with complex hardware production
  • Knowledge of PLM and MES tools
  • Strong communication skills with diverse team members
  • Comfortable in a fast-paced, small team environment
  • U.S. person status required under ITAR

Responsibilities

  • Author build instructions for spacecraft hardware
  • Support daily production and assembly
  • Manage nonconformance investigations and corrective actions
  • Oversee calibration and maintenance of production tools
  • Act as an engineering resource for technicians during builds
  • Implement process improvements for efficiency and quality
  • Collaborate with design engineers for manufacturability

Benefits

  • Be a key player in shaping production processes
  • Opportunity to see your work contribute to space missions
  • Work closely with a multidisciplinary engineering team
  • Receive early-employee stock options
  • Fast career growth opportunities in a small team
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Disability and life insurance coverage
  • Paid parental leave
  • Generous paid vacation and holidays
Full Job Description
Manufacturing Engineer - Stand Up Production for a New Class of Modular Spacecraft

Golden, CO | On-site

Opportunity Summary

A seed-stage space startup is moving its modular spacecraft from demonstration hardware into repeatable production, and it needs an engineer who can build the manufacturing system that gets flight hardware out the door. The company has already flown its core technology and is now scaling to larger vehicles out of a new Colorado facility.

As one of the first hires on the manufacturing and test team, you will write the build instructions, run the production floor, own nonconformance, and push design teams toward hardware that is easier and faster to build. This role sets the processes the company will scale on, so your decisions will stick.

Job Duties
  • Author assembly and build instructions for spacecraft hardware inside the manufacturing execution system
  • Support day-to-day production, including kitting and assembly of spacecraft components and subsystems
  • Own nonconformance reporting, run investigations to root cause, and drive corrective actions to closure
  • Manage calibration and upkeep of ground support equipment and production tooling
  • Serve as the go-to engineering resource for technicians during builds
  • Find and implement improvements that raise throughput, quality, and repeatability
  • Work with design engineers early to shape parts and assemblies for manufacturability
  • Help define production workflows, traceability, and documentation standards as the program scales


Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, industrial, mechanical, or electrical engineering, or a related field
  • Hands-on experience building, assembling, or supporting production of complex hardware
  • Working knowledge of PLM and MES tools
  • Strong written and verbal communication with technicians, designers, and leadership
  • Comfortable working on the floor and moving quickly in a small, fast-paced team
  • U.S. person status (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee) required under ITAR


Preferred Experience
  • Experience building spacecraft, satellite, or other flight hardware
  • Familiarity with AS9100 or similar aerospace quality systems
  • Experience standing up production processes at a startup
  • Hands-on ownership of NCR and corrective action workflows
  • 5+ years of experience for senior-level consideration


Why Join Us
  • Be one of the first engineers on the manufacturing and test team and set how production is done
  • See the hardware you help build fly in space
  • Work directly alongside design, avionics, and test engineers with no layers in between
  • Early-employee stock options with meaningful upside as the platform moves toward operational missions
  • Fast growth on a small team, where engineers who deliver take on broader ownership quickly
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Short- and long-term disability insurance and life insurance
  • Paid parental leave
  • Three weeks of paid vacation and 10 or more paid holidays annually


Compensation Details

$95,000 - $135,000 + equity

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Applicants must be U.S. persons (U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees) or eligible to obtain the required U.S. Department of State authorization.

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Approach Venture LLC

More Aerospace & Defense Jobs

Find similar Manufacturing Engineer - Spacecraft Production jobs: