Production Leader (Satellite Manufacturing)

Location: Burlingame, California, United States; on-site

Salary: $175,000–$220,000 per year plus equity

Company

Xona develops satellite-based navigational intelligence and Pulsar, a low-Earth-orbit positioning infrastructure designed for precise, power-efficient, and resilient global positioning.

What you will do

• Lead the satellite manufacturing production team at the Burlingame Satellite Assembly, Integration & Test facility.
• Manage production planning, work-order releases, shift staffing, handovers, operational KPIs, and facility efficiency.
• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing production team while maintaining safety, accountability, and quality standards.
• Drive production ramp-up, continuous improvement, cost reduction, workforce efficiency, equipment capacity, and build quality.
• Oversee equipment maintenance and facilities operations.
• Support production budgeting, capital expenditure planning, logistics, production tools, and staffing roadmaps.

Requirements

• Must work on-site in Burlingame, California.
• 5+ years of experience supervising or managing a scaled production facility, preferably involving complex engineered products and assembly, integration, and testing.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a related field.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing, TPM, ERP/MES/QA digital systems, and QMS frameworks.
• Ability to establish, implement, and continuously improve production processes, tools, and methods.
• For U.S. roles, must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or another protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Nice to have

• Space or aerospace and defense manufacturing experience.
• Experience with products requiring extensive hardware and software assembly, integration, and testing.
• Working knowledge of Six Sigma.

Culture & Benefits

• Equity included in the compensation package.
• Autonomous role with extensive cross-functional collaboration.
• Focus on safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and production scale readiness.
• Inclusive workplace committed to diversity and equal employment opportunity.