Head of Manufacturing (Aerospace)

Location: Full-time, in-person position based at the hirify.global headquarters in Menlo Park, California; regular domestic travel is expected. Eligibility to obtain and maintain required U.S. security clearances and required ITAR authorizations applies.

Base salary: $225,000–$248,000, plus bonus, equity, and benefits.

Company

hirify.global operates a global radar network and AI-enabled analytics platform for space domain awareness, space traffic management, and satellite operations.

What you will do

• Own the manufacturing and industrialization strategy for radar systems, subsystems, and high-reliability hardware, including the plan to increase radar production capacity by 10x over two years.
• Define the operating model across internal manufacturing, suppliers, contract manufacturers, and integration partners, including facilities, equipment, tooling, staffing, and capital investment.
• Stand up scalable production lines, work cells, test stations, documentation, acceptance processes, and production planning for RF systems, electronics, electromechanical assemblies, power systems, compute infrastructure, and system integration.
• Lead the transition from engineering builds to production-ready designs through readiness gates, first-article processes, build documentation, manufacturability, testability, configuration control, and production readiness.
• Build and mature the quality management system, driving improvements in yield, first-pass quality, rework, scrap, field defects, supplier performance, and schedule execution.
• Recruit and lead manufacturing operations, production, test operations, quality, facilities, and related functions while implementing a common production system based on safety, quality, delivery, cost, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in manufacturing, production operations, industrialization, factory operations, manufacturing engineering, or related operational leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and leading a mature Lean manufacturing or production operating system such as the Toyota Production System, including standard work, visual management, daily accountability, structured problem solving, flow, built-in quality, waste reduction, and continuous improvement.
• Experience scaling production capacity, standing up production lines or facilities, and improving throughput, quality, cost, and delivery performance.
• Experience manufacturing complex, high-reliability hardware in aerospace, defense, automotive, advanced electronics, robotics, industrial automation, energy systems, RF systems, communications, space systems, or mission-critical infrastructure.
• Experience with quality management systems and standards such as AS9100, ISO 9001, IPC standards, ESD controls, supplier quality, and first-article inspection.
• Strong technical fluency with hardware product development, NPI, configuration control, test operations, production readiness, and root-cause corrective action.
• Excellent communication, leadership, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain required U.S. security clearances and ITAR authorizations.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, operations, industrial engineering, supply chain, business, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.

Nice to have

• Formal training or practitioner experience in Toyota Production System, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, or an equivalent operating system; Black Belt, Master Black Belt, TPS practitioner, trainer, or comparable credentials.
• Experience developing greenfield or brownfield production facilities, production lines, integration sites, or manufacturing cells.
• Experience with radar, RF systems, antennas, communications systems, sensors, satellites, ground systems, aerospace systems, or other complex electromechanical products.
• Experience supporting Department of War, Space Force, NASA, or allied government customers.
• Experience with classified, export-controlled, ITAR/EAR-controlled, or otherwise sensitive hardware programs.
• Master’s degree in engineering, operations, business administration, manufacturing, supply chain, or a related discipline.

Culture & Benefits

• Work on complex space, defense, and AI missions with real-world impact.
• Flexible remote/hybrid opportunities are available across the global workforce, but this role is explicitly in-person.
• Unlimited paid time off for most roles.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Competitive salary, bonus, equity, and benefits packages.