Candidates with manufacturing leadership experience in foundry operations and a background in investment casting will find this production-focused role in a vertically integrated environment.
Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.
Original posting from SpaceX via Greenhouse
SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.
PRODUCTION MANAGER, BLADES AND VANES FOUNDRY
As a Production Manager, you will lead and scale high-performance teams responsible for standing up and operating an industrial gas turbine (IGT) blades and vanes foundry — from core manufacturing and casting operations, through machining, coating, and final inspection, in a single linear production line under one roof. You will hire and develop the team that will run the foundry and contribute to strategic decisions on facility design, process flow, equipment, and activation. This role requires close collaboration with engineering, supply chain, operations, and leadership to solve problems quickly in a demanding, fast-paced manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate is motivated by building a world-class, vertically integrated foundry from the ground up.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Hire, lead, and mentor a team of supervisors, specialists, technicians and machinists to perform blades and vanes foundry operations (core manufacturing, wax pattern, investment casting, leaching, heat treat, machining, coating, final tests and inspections, etc.)
Support factory activation, new product introductions, line expansions, and facility upgrades; contribute to strategic decision-making for foundry design and bringing the facility online
Ensure a strong focus is placed on safety and maintain an excellent safety record
Create and enforce training and career development paths to ensure timely product delivery, boost in quality, and reduction in lead time/cost
Define and enforce operational standards with strict accountability
Drive continuous improvement in manufacturing processes, procedures, quality, and rate
Collaborate with development, test, quality, and leadership to align long-term goals & resolve complex issues
Challenge requirements and legacy assumptions to establish a streamlined manufacturing environment
Ensure compliance with industry standards (e.g. ISO, AS9100, NADCAP) and SpaceX safety protocols, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, operational excellence & high-performance
Mentor and develop team members, conduct performance reviews, to maintain a world-class manufacturing organization
Own sustained CapEx, headcount, and capacity planning for foundry operations
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s degree in engineering or STEM discipline; OR 5+ years of professional leadership experience in a manufacturing environment
5+ years of production operations or process development experience
3+ years of experience in a leadership position
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
Experience in investment casting / IGT blades and vanes (or similar high-temperature superalloy foundry operations)
Experience leading New Product Introduction to volume production
Experience with the equipment and ancillary support systems used across a full foundry value stream (core, wax, casting, leaching, heat treat, machining, coating, NDT/inspection)
Experience with equipment qualification, validation, and troubleshooting in a production foundry or controlled manufacturing environment
Advanced degree in engineering or technical discipline
Experience building out a multidisciplinary production organization
Experience leading multi-level production operations teams with 50+ members
Excellent communication skills, with experience presenting technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
Experience in implementing/sustaining quality management systems (e.g. ISO9001, AS9100)
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Must be willing to work long hours and weekends as needed
Standing for long periods of time, climbing up and down ladders, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, and stretching may be required to perform the functions of this position
Willingness to travel to other SpaceX sites and/or domestic and international vendors (~10% normally; more during initial activation and commissioning, including supporting temporary training & development assignments)
Must be able to lift up to 25lbs. unassisted
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.
SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com.
Source: SpaceX careers (Greenhouse)