JOB DESCRIPTIONLocation Redondo Beach, CA / Denver, CO
Reports To VP Manufacturing & Supply Chain / COO
Employment Type Full-Time
Department Manufacturing & Operations
Travel 20%
Security Clearance Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
POSITION OVERVIEWParallax Space is seeking a Senior Production Systems & Manufacturing Engineer to architect how Parallax builds space vehicles (SVs) at scale. This person will own the long-range manufacturing strategy, production plans, and factory architecture and layout that take Parallax from low-rate builds to large-scale, high-rate SV and component production.
This is our most senior manufacturing technical role. The candidate is the company's subject-matter expert on production system design: how a factory should be laid out, how product and material should flow, what rate the system must hit and when, and what capital, automation, and digital infrastructure it takes to get there.
We do not require space experience. We want someone who has designed and launched large-scale production systems in any demanding industry, such as automotive and EV, batteries, aircraft, defense, semiconductors, electronics, or medical devices, and who can bring that experience to spacecraft. Space-specific requirements like cleanrooms, ESD, contamination control, and environmental testing can be learned with our team; the hard part is knowing how to architect a factory that works at rate.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIESProduction Strategy & Rate Planning- Architect Parallax's large-scale SV manufacturing strategy, linking product roadmap and customer demand to production rate, capacity, and capital plans.
- Define the multi-year production roadmap: rate targets, ramp phases, readiness gates, and the investments each phase requires.
- Build capacity, takt, cycle time, staffing, WIP, and cost-per-unit models that leadership uses to make build, buy, and invest decisions.
- Set vertical integration and make/buy strategy for key assemblies and components with engineering and supply chain.
Develop the business case for major manufacturing investments, including CapEx, ROI, and risk.
Factory Architecture & Layout- Architect the factory: production flow, line or cell structure, station layout, material and kitting flow, and the integration and test flow through to shipment.
- Lead greenfield or brownfield facility planning, including site selection inputs, footprint, utilities, cleanroom and ESD zones, and expansion paths.
- Use factory simulation and 3D layout tools to validate flow, bottlenecks, and capacity before capital is committed.
- Partner with facilities, architects, and contractors from concept through construction, equipment install, and commissioning.
- Define a standard, replicable factory model that can be copied across product lines and future sites.
Automation, Tooling & Digital Factory- Set the automation strategy, deciding where automation, robotics, and advanced tooling pay off at Parallax rates and where manual flexibility is better.
- Define the digital factory architecture: MES, ERP/MRP, PLM, digital work instructions, traceability, and real-time production data.
- Lead the approach to integrating environmental and functional test into the production flow so test does not become the constraint.
Product Industrialization- Shape SV and component designs early for producibility, commonality, modularity, and test, so products are built for rate from the start.
- Define the path from prototype and qualification units to recurring production, including rate-readiness criteria.
- Bring proven practices from high-rate industries, such as lean, flow, line balancing, poka-yoke, SPC, and APQP, and adapt them to space hardware.
Technical Authority & Leadership- Serve as Parallax's senior technical authority on manufacturing, production systems, and factory design.
- Review and approve production architectures, layouts, and major process decisions across programs.
- Mentor manufacturing, industrial, and production engineers and shape how the manufacturing organization grows.
- Represent Parallax's production capability to customers, investors, and partners, including in proposals and capability reviews.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS- Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Industrial, Mechanical, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 15+ years of manufacturing, industrial, or production engineering experience in complex hardware. Space experience is not required.
- Has personally architected and launched at least one large-scale production system, such as a new factory, a new production line, or a major rate ramp, from concept through stable rate production.
- Deep expertise in factory layout, production flow, line balancing, capacity and takt modeling, and production ramp planning.
- Proven ability to build CapEx business cases and make sound automation and make/buy trades.
- Strong command of lean manufacturing, DFMA, process control, and manufacturing quality systems.
- Experience defining or implementing MES, ERP/MRP, PLM, or similar digital production systems.
- Recognized as a senior technical authority, with a track record of influencing executives and mentoring engineers.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance; must be a U.S. person for ITAR/EAR purposes.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS- Master's degree or PhD in an engineering discipline; MBA is a plus.
- High-rate production experience in automotive or EV, batteries, aircraft or aerostructures, defense, semiconductors, consumer or industrial electronics, or medical devices.
- Greenfield factory or gigafactory experience, including work with architects, general contractors, and equipment suppliers.
- Experience with factory simulation and layout tools such as Siemens Tecnomatix/Plant Simulation, DELMIA, FlexSim, or AutoCAD.
- Experience with electronics or electromechanical assembly, precision assembly, cleanroom, ESD, or contamination-controlled production.
- Familiarity with AS9100, ISO 9001, IATF 16949, APQP/PPAP, PFMEA, and SPC.
- Experience integrating test (functional, environmental, end-of-line) into production flow.
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt; patents, publications, or industry recognition in manufacturing.
CORE COMPETENCIESSystems Thinking
Production Architecture
Strategic Vision
Technical Authority
Data-Driven Decisions
Capital Discipline
Builder Mentality
Cross-Industry Perspective
Executive Influence
Mentorship
Continuous Improvement
Bias for Action
The pay range for this role is:
150,000 - 240,000 USD per year (Denver Office)
