Spacecraft represent the most pressing unmet need across the entire aerospace industry. As more launch vehicles come online and the cost to orbit decreases, more companies launching payloads to space continue to emerge.

For the first time in history, this influx of payload companies combined with reduced launch costs has resulted in a massive increase in need for commercial spacecraft platforms, known as satellite buses. These buses hold the payloads of our customers and are flown on launch vehicles.

Apex manufactures these satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware that is designed for manufacturing. Our spacecraft enable the future of society: ranging from earth observation to communications and more.

We’d love for you to join us on our mission of providing humankind access to the galaxy beyond our planet. 

About the Role

As the Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Production Automation, you will own the design, development, and scale-up of an entirely new production line at Apex, from inception through full rate production. You'll act as the technical lead and driving force behind this line, defining the process architecture, selecting and integrating automation equipment, and partnering with design engineering to ensure the product is manufacturable at scale. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role for an engineer who thrives on building something from nothing and taking it all the way to a mature, high-throughput production system. As the line matures, this role will have the opportunity to grow into a leadership position with a team of manufacturing engineers.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end development of a new production line, from process architecture definition through full rate production

• Design, specify, procure, and integrate automated manufacturing equipment, including SMT, pick-and-place, reflow, inspection, and associated material handling and test systems

• Develop process flows, work instructions, and tooling to support a highly automated, low-touch production environment

• Partner with design engineering to drive DFM/DFA feedback early in the product development cycle, ensuring manufacturability, testability, and yield at scale

• Lead process qualification, first article inspection, and validation activities to bring the line from prototype through production release

• Define and drive key production metrics including first pass yield, cycle time, takt time, and line utilization, and execute continuous improvement efforts against them

• Troubleshoot complex process, equipment, and quality issues on the production floor, and lead root cause and corrective action investigations

• Develop the hiring plan, training materials, and operational cadence needed to grow and sustain the line as throughput scales

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams across production, quality, supply chain, and test to resolve manufacturing issues and support new product introductions

• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and best practices throughout the manufacturing and integration processes

Requirements

• U.S. Persons status is required as this position needs to access export-controlled data

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Electrical, Industrial, or related field)

• 7+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering within aerospace, electronics, medical device, automotive, or other complex hardware environments

• Demonstrated experience standing up a new production line or major production capability from the ground up, including equipment selection, process development, and ramp to rate

• Strong working knowledge of automated electronics assembly processes, including SMT, pick-and-place, reflow soldering, AOI, and ICT/functional test integration

• Proven track record of implementing process improvements that resulted in measurable gains in quality, efficiency, or cost reduction

• Strong project management skills with ability to drive strategic initiatives from concept to execution across multiple concurrent workstreams

• Strong technical communication skills with ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders, including design, quality, and supply chain

• Demonstrated experience leading root cause and corrective action investigations

• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, hardware-intensive environments with a high degree of ambiguity
  

Preferred Requirements

• Experience specifying, procuring, and commissioning capital equipment for electronics or precision assembly lines