Production Manager, Satellite Manufacturing - AIT

ROLE DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

The Production Manager leads a multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for the design, development, and industrialization of satellite hardware. The role acts as the bridge between the Development Lab and Production Engineering, overseeing alignment of prototyping activities, equipment capabilities, and ensuring smooth transfer of lab-developed solutions into production. The Engineering Manager evaluates equipment readiness, defines required competencies for production adoption, and ensures engineering output meets project, quality, and manufacturability requirements.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES / KEY RESULT AREAS

• Lead and coordinate engineering teams to deliver designs, documentation, and technical solutions for satellite systems and subsystems.
• Act as the main interface to the Development Lab, ensuring prototypes, tools, and test setups align with production needs.
• Decide on equipment suitability for scaling from development to production and define required modifications.
• Identify skills and training needs for transferring lab-developed processes into manufacturing.
• Support design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly activities with production and quality teams.
• Ensure engineering deliverables meet requirements, standards, and configuration control rules.
• Resolve technical risks, nonconformances, and cross-functional issues affecting development or production.
• Manage team workload, staffing, hiring, and competency development.

COMPETENCIES, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Broad engineering understanding across satellite subsystems.
• Ability to assess equipment readiness and process maturity for production transfer.
• Strong coordination skills across engineering, Dev Lab, and production teams.
• Structured problem-solving, decision-making, and documentation discipline.
• Leadership skills with ability to drive accountability and technical clarity.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 7+ years of engineering experience in aerospace, satellite development, or high-reliability product industries.
• Prior experience leading engineering teams or project engineering groups.
• Track record of delivering complex engineering projects within time, cost, and quality constraints.
• Familiarity with aerospace standards (ECSS, NASA, ISO 9001/AS9100) and configuration management practices.
• Fluency in English; additional languages are a plus.

OTHER KEY REQUIREMENTS / COMMENTS

• Eligibility for ESA/EU/NATO/National SECRET personnel security clearances is essential. Candidates must be prepared to undergo a security clearance procedure, as this position may require holding such clearance
• As part of a dynamic, fast-paced manufacturing organization, you will be expected to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability as project requirements evolve, and new challenges arise.
• In a role closely connected to cross-functional project teams, you will be expected to think strategically and ensure that operational decisions consistently align with broader organizational goals.
• Within a complex technical environment, you will be expected to apply strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities to address issues efficiently and maintain operational continuity.
• In a multidisciplinary production setting, you will be expected to communicate clearly and effectively (both verbally and in writing) to facilitate seamless collaboration across engineering, production, quality, and leadership teams.
• Willingness to work at least 60% onsite from office