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

We are seeking a Director of Factory Deployment to lead the global rollout of Apex’s manufacturing capability. This role is responsible for standing up new factories domestically and internationally by replicating our existing production environment, ensuring speed, consistency, and operational excellence.

This is a high-impact, program-driven role focused on execution—owning the end-to-end deployment of new manufacturing sites, from planning through launch. Once a factory is successfully deployed, this role will also drive process documentation and standardization, enabling repeatable, scalable expansion.

What You’ll Do

Product & Project Leadership

• Act as the product owner for factory deployments, managing timelines, budgets, and cross-functional execution

• Coordinate across manufacturing, supply chain, facilities, IT, and leadership

• Identify risks early and drive issue resolution across multiple stakeholders and geographies

• Build and manage deployment roadmaps, trackers, and executive-level reporting

Factory Deployment & Replication

• Lead the end-to-end deployment of new factory sites globally, including international locations

• Translate Apex’s existing factory infrastructure into a repeatable deployment model

• Oversee site readiness across facilities, equipment, systems, and workforce ramp-up

• Ensure each site launches on time, on budget, and aligned to Apex production standards

Standardization & Productization

• Capture and document the end-to-end factory setup process after each deployment

• Develop a scalable, repeatable factory deployment playbook

• Drive continuous improvement to reduce time-to-deploy and cost per site

• Partner with internal teams to transition deployed factories into steady-state operations

• Collaborate with the Octopus Factory Systems team

Externalization & Deployment

• Support the deployment of Apex manufacturing systems across new sites, programs, or external partners

• Participate in technical scoping and implementation planning for new manufacturing environments

• Ensure successful transfer of systems, processes, and operational readiness

Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Identify bottlenecks and drive simplification, standardization, and efficiency improvements

• Establish KPIs and performance metrics across manufacturing systems

• Implement continuous improvement loops across internal and replicated production environments

Experience

• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing, production systems, or industrial engineering

• Proven experience scaling or standing up complex manufacturing operations (aerospace, defense, automotive, or high-reliability hardware)

• Experience building or standardizing manufacturing systems across multiple lines, sites, or programs

Technical & Operational Expertise

• Deep understanding of manufacturing systems, production workflows, and factory design

• Experience with high-reliability, mission-critical hardware production environments

• Familiarity with supply chain integration, QA/QC systems, and production testing

Leadership & Execution

• Demonstrated ability to build systems in ambiguous, fast-paced environments

• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder alignment skills

• Operates as a “systems thinker” who can connect strategy to execution

Bonus Points

• Experience in space or satellite manufacturing

• Experience deploying manufacturing systems across multiple facilities or geographies

• Exposure to MES, digital manufacturing, or factory automation

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Why Join Apex?

Apex believes in creating a work environment t