Sr. Director Manufacturing - Space

at Aerovironment

1300 Britt Street Southeast, Albuquerque, United StatesOn-site

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Responsibilities

Lead all aspects of space product manufacturing across a portfolio of ~10 products, including production readiness, rate ramp, quality, and delivery performance Own tactical execution across manufacturing operations, including: Material planning and production scheduling Supply chain coordination and input on supplier performance Quality execution, compliance, and defect reduction Daily/weekly operating cadence to ensure commitments are met Drive the transition from engineering

Requirements

requirements for space systems Lead cross-functional coordination across engineering, quality, supply chain, programs, and finance to deliver on cost, schedule, and performance commitments Partner with Global Operations to: Ensure alignment to enterprise initiatives, policies, and governance Drive adoption of standard tools and systems, including Oracle Fusion Implement consistent processes, metrics, and reporting across sites Support enterprise-wide continuous improvement and operational excellence
Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience): Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or related technical or equivalent combination of education, training, and
experience in manufacturing or operations
experience required with minimum 7-10 years of direct managerial
experience leading space hardware manufacturing organizations, including responsibility for both strategic leadership and tactical execution Demonstrated success transitioning products from engineering development into production at scale Deep expertise in space manufacturing standards and requirements, including IPC J-STD and applicable space addenda, as well as quality and mission assurance frameworks Strong understanding of material planning, supply chain operations, and quality systems in
Experience operating within complex, regulated environments (defense, aerospace, or space) Track record of leading cross-functional teams and influencing across engineering, operations, and program organizations
Experience implementing or operating within enterprise ERP/MRP systems (e.g., Oracle Fusion or equivalent) Demonstrated ability to drive operational discipline while leading transformation and standardization efforts Collaborative leadership style with ability to work effectively across segment and enterprise (Global Operations) structures Other
Experience with multi-product space portfolios, including payloads, avionics, and space subsystems Background in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing transitioning to higher-rate production

Additional details

Worker Type Regular Job Description Summary This role will serve as the senior leader responsible for all space product manufacturing, with end-to-end accountability for transitioning a portfolio of ten space products from engineering development into scalable, high-reliability production.

Reporting to the VP of Manufacturing for Space, Cyber and Directed Energy Segment at AV, this position will play a critical role in enabling productization, accelerating production readiness, and delivering operational excellence across the space manufacturing portfolio.

In addition to strategic leadership, this role has direct responsibility for tactical execution across manufacturing operations, including material planning, supply chain coordination, and quality performance.

The leader will ensure day-to-day execution meets cost, schedule, and performance objectives while aligning closely with AV’s Global Operations to adopt and enforce enterprise initiatives, policies, tools, and standardized processes.

This role requires a forward-leaning, collaborative leader capable of driving both execution discipline and organizational transformation, ensuring space manufacturing operates with speed, rigor, and scalability in alignment with evolving commercial and national security priorities. Key

requirements and applicable space addenda, as well as mission assurance and reliability expectations Establish and scale manufacturing processes that meet high-reliability, low-defect, and traceability

experience Strong track record in leading multi-site or complex manufacturing operations in the aerospace, defense, or high-technology industries. Proven

ITAR Requirement: This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”).

requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction.

Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements.

Sr. Director Manufacturing - Space

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