Head of Manufacturing

Company Overview

Fortastra designs and delivers resilient, high-performance spacecraft that safeguard critical orbital assets and ensure freedom of action in space. We integrate advanced autonomy, sensing, and control into systems engineered for reliability, speed, and scale. Our culture values simplicity, accountability, and disciplined execution. We expect leaders to think systemically, act decisively, and take ownership of mission outcomes. Aggressive innovation. Disciplined execution. Strength among the stars.

Team / Department

You will lead Fortastra’s Manufacturing function within the Engineering Division, owning production strategy, manufacturing readiness, and hardware build execution across our spacecraft portfolio.

The Role

Fortastra is seeking a Head of Manufacturing to lead the company’s manufacturing strategy and production execution in support of rapidly developing autonomous spacecraft systems. This is a hands-on leadership role focused on building scalable manufacturing capabilities alongside active spacecraft development. You will work closely with engineering to develop production processes, tooling, and integration flows while spacecraft designs are still evolving. The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced environments where manufacturing and product development occur in parallel.

Key Responsibilities

Own manufacturing strategy and production readiness across spacecraft programs

Develop manufacturing processes, build flows, tooling, and production infrastructure alongside active hardware development

Partner closely with engineering to improve manufacturability, scalability, and integration efficiency

Establish production planning, work instructions, quality controls, and manufacturing standards

Lead spacecraft assembly, integration, and test execution activities

Identify and resolve manufacturing bottlenecks, process risks, and production inefficiencies

Support supplier coordination and hardware readiness in partnership with Supply Chain

Drive prototype-to-production transition planning across spacecraft systems and subsystems

Build and lead a high-performing manufacturing organization as the company scales

Act as the primary operational authority for manufacturing execution and production planning

Qualifications and Skills

B.S. or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field

10+ years of experience in aerospace, spacecraft, aviation, robotics, or other high-reliability hardware manufacturing environments

Demonstrated experience supporting hardware development programs from prototype through production

Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, assembly integration, tooling, and production planning

Experience operating in fast-paced development environments with evolving hardware designs and shifting priorities

Proven ability to work closely with engineering teams to improve manufacturability and production scalability

Experience establishing manufacturing processes, work instructions, and production standards

Strong organizational, execution, and cross-functional leadership skills

Familiarity with aerospace quality systems, traceability, and configuration-controlled environments preferred

Requirements

On-site role (no remote or hybrid arrangements)

U.S. Citizenship required

Ability to obtain or hold an active TS/SCI clearance desired

Why Fortastra?

Join a small, high-impact team building the next generation of autonomous orbital control systems for national security space. At Fortastra, leaders own outcomes — from first principles through flight — and directly shape the future of resilient, mission-critical spacecraft autonomy.